Blue Jays' Manoah named finalist for AL Cy Young award

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah (6) throws the ball during first inning AL MLB baseball action against the Boston Red Sox, in Toronto on Friday, September 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Toronto Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah has been named as one of three finalists for the American League Cy Young award, given out each year to the best pitcher in the league.

In his second season in the major leagues, the 24-year-old posted a 16-7 record as a starter, a 2.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts.

Manoah also made his first All-Star team and helped bring playoff baseball back to the Rogers Centre for the first time since 2016.

The other two finalists are the Chicago White Sox’s Dylan Cease and future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros.

Verlander is a two-time Cy Young winner and is heavily favoured to win the award again after helping the Astros win the World Series with a brilliant performance in a pivotal Game 5 on Thursday.

A Blue Jay won the award last season when Robbie Ray took home the honour before signing with the Seattle Mariners in the off-season.

If Manoah can beat out Verlander and Cease, he’d join Ray, Roy Halladay, Pat Hentgen and back-to-back winner in 1997 and 1998, Roger Clemens, as the only other Blue Jays pitchers to win the award.