Manoah seeking consistency with changeup

TORONTO -- Blue Jays No. 3 prospect Alek Manoah is at Rogers Centre in Toronto for this weekend's series against the Yankees, and he's hard to miss.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander is a mountain of a man at 21, and after being selected 11th overall by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2019 Draft out of West Virginia, he represents one of the highest-upside arms in the organization.

Much like No. 1 prospect Nate Pearson before him, Manoah was overpowering in his brief pro debut with the Class A Short Season Vancouver Canadians. Over 17 innings, Manoah posted a 2.65 ERA and struck out 27 batters. He's barely dipped his toe in as a pro, but the early results have been encouraging.

"The stuff plays. The stuff is pretty good," Manoah said. "Baseball is 60 feet, six inches. A lot of people try and change things from level to level. You've just got to pitch."

From here, Manoah enters his first professional offseason with a lot on his plate. Manoah is still finishing classes for his communications major and hopes to graduate next fall, and he will spend the rest of his offseason training in Miami. With a heavy fastball that typically sits in the 94-97 mph range and a slider that profiles as above average, Manoah is placing his offseason focus squarely on his changeup.

"I haven't really had a chance to throw the changeup too much," Manoah said. "I didn't get a chance in Vancouver, either, but one of the things when I sat down with the coaching staff is that, next April from the first pitch, to be able to command all of my pitches in any count. Trust the fastball and the slider, but be able to throw the changeup in any count."

This will mostly be done in side sessions and long toss, with arm speed being a priority. The goal is for Manoah's fastball and changeup delivery to look the exact same -- specifically the arm speed -- until the ball leaves his hand. He's plenty capable of blowing fastballs by hitters, but creating a level of deception and discomfort for his opponent could help to take his game over the top.

"I don't think it's about rebuilding the pitch, it's just about consistency with it," Manoah said. "My fastball, I can throw that thing anywhere in any count. It's just being able to have consistency with that pitch as well. I think the grip is good and the release is great, it's just building confidence and being able to throw it more."

In bringing prospects like Manoah to Toronto, the Blue Jays also hope to pull back the curtain and give them a taste of what life in the Major Leagues looks like. That idea is at the core of the club's annual rookie orientation camp, too, which typically sees them bring a large group of their top prospects to Rogers Centre for a week in January.

At 21, Manoah is close to the age of many current Blue Jays and already older than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so there isn't much of a gap to bridge there. It's still a drastic change from the long bus rides in the Minor Leagues, though, and there was one thing, in particular, that caught Manoah's eye as he walked through the clubhouse for the first time.

"I've learned that they eat really good," Manoah said. "The kitchen is amazing. I haven't tried it yet, but it smelled great when I walked through there."