Alek Manoah is fighting himself on the mound now for the Toronto Blue Jays, as his command has totally eluded him.

It is difficult to watch Toronto Blue Jays right-handed starter Alek Manoah continue to struggle on the mound.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much to smile about.

Mechanics, rhythm, command, and control have eluded Manoah in this 2023 Major League Baseball season.

An All Star last year, Manoah has struggled to throw strikes. Especially with his once elusive slider.

Manoah is fighting himself on the mound, as he tries to recover from a very difficult stretch of poor execution of his pitching mechanics.

It looks as if Manoah has lost confidence in his abilities.

Manoah is a big man. Listed at 6-6, 285 pounds, Manoah uses a repertoire that includes both four-seam, and sinking fastballs, a slider, and a changeup.

As a rookie in March 2021, brooksbaseball.net noted his four-seam fastball velocity was 96.01 miles per hour.

In March 2023, brooksbaseball.net indicated his fastball was 92.99 miles per hour.

His drop in velocity is an issue, but to this scout, it isn’t the reason Manoah has struggled. It may be just a symptom of bigger problems.

He simply can’t command his arsenal.

His rhythm is way off. He is out of sync.

In his May 15 start against the New York Yankees at home in Toronto, Manoah walked seven hitters in 4 innings pitched. He left the game after not retiring a batter to start the 5th inning.

Of his 92 pitches thrown, only 44 were strikes.

The seven walks Manoah issued against the Yankees were the most of his career.

Manoah has now walked an average of 6.4 batters per nine innings pitched.

Manoah entered the game with a record of 1-3, and a 4.83 ERA in 8 starts. He had a 1.65 WHIP in 41 innings pitched.

Manoah left his 9th start with a 5.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. He has a 1-4 record.

Lack Of Command:

To this old scout, it is very obvious Manoah is having difficulty repeating his delivery. In some instances, his shoulder is flying open, causing his pitches to sail out of the strike zone.

In some cases, Manoah is using strange pitch sequencing. For example, against the Yankees, Manoah started some hitters with a changeup. In general, a changeup is used to change speeds from a fastball or hard slider. The changeup is intended to get the hitter off balance after he has seen the fastball.

In some cases, Manoah is not finishing his pitches. He is cutting his delivery short, and not following through.

In essence, it appears to this scout that Manoah is searching for answers, and in so doing, is experimenting with different mechanics. It isn’t working.

To be fair, some pitches against the Yankees could have easily been called strikes. In fact, both Blue Jays manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker were yelling at the umpire consistently throughout Manoah’s outing. Indeed, it looked as if Manoah was being “squeezed” by home plate umpire Clint Vondrak.

Manoah’s biggest issue may be his inability to throw his slider for strikes. Once a very reliable pitch, the slider is missing the strike zone, and the hitter can confidently sit on the fastball.

Manoah’s slider was clocked at 80.9 miles by MLB.com during the Yankees game. His lack of velocity on that pitch compounds the issues of Manoah’s inability to throw the pitch in the strike zone.

The drop in velocity on his fastballs to between 91-94 miles per hour is made easier to hit due to a lack of movement on the ball. With relatively straight pitches that aren’t as fast as in the past, hitters are pounding the ball.

Add in poor slider command, and low slider velocity, and it causes a perfect storm.

Conclusions:

The Toronto Blue Jays should be able to remain in the American League East Division pennant race all season.

The success of the Baltimore Orioles is real. The New York Yankees will get their injured players back. The Tampa Bay Rays will continue to play winning baseball. The Boston Red Sox can get their share of big wins.

The Blue Jays can’t let their guard down.

The Blue Jays can hit. They can score runs.

The team can pitch. In general, their starters have kept them in games.

That said, they have to get Alek Manoah, a 2022 All Star, back on track.

The Blue Jays have to find a way for Manoah to return to solid mechanics that enable him to repeat his delivery, throw strikes, and dominate hitters. Just as he has done in his first two years with the big league club, Alek Manoah can win once again. If he makes the proper adjustments.

Manoah has to be able to throw all his pitches for strikes. Especially his slider, which has not been sharp this year.

Manoah can survive with both two-seam, and four-seam fastballs that sit between 91-94 miles per hour, if he locates the pitches well.

Manoah can survive with the reduction in velocity we have seen from him, if he misses barrels.

Manoah has to keep hitters off balance with his once wicked slider. And an effective changeup.

Manoah needs all his pitches to be sharp and in the right locations for him to win.

Plenty of time remains for Alek Manoah to return to his All Star form.

Half of May, June, July, August, and September remain in the MLB season.

It would be great to see a smile return to Alek Manoah’s face.

He has to regain his confidence.

With plenty of time left to prove himself, it would be great if Alek Manoah shows progress in his next Blue Jays start. His team needs him.