WVU Great Alek Manoah Returns to the Big Leagues for First Time in Two Years

It's been a long, windy road for former West Virginia pitcher Alek Manoah, but he officially made his return to the big leagues on Friday with the Los Angeles Angels. He tossed one scoreless inning of relief against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, inducing two fly balls and setting down one batter on strikes.

Alek Manoah is on the mound pitching for the Angels 👀

This is his first appearance in the Majors since May 2024 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2O8uDXK4ma
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2026

Manoah had one heck of a start to his big league career, continuing the stretch of domination he had while in Morgantown with the Mountaineers. The live fastball and nasty slider always projected to play well at the next level, but it was a little surprising to see him climb through the Blue Jays' system as quickly as he did.

He made a statement in his big league debut against the New York Yankees, pitching six strong innings of scoreless ball, punching out seven batters, and allowing just a pair of base knocks. Hitters combined for a .192 batting average in his first season (20 starts), finishing the year with an ERA of 3.22.

In 2022, he was one of the best pitchers in the entire league, ultimately finishing third in the AL Cy Young voting behind only Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. Not only did it appear that the Blue Jays had their ace of the future, but someone who could cement himself as one of the best in the game for years to come.

Unfortunately, he ran into some injuries to his elbow, shoulder, and finger, forcing him to constantly battle adversity. He lost command of not only his fastball but also of all of his pitches, which was the driving force behind his struggles. There were several outings where he would exit with a high pitch count despite only working through a handful of innings, part of which stemmed from the lack of control, but also relying too heavily on the punch out instead of pitching to contact.

Can he return to form?

Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It might sound crazy to say, but part of me still believes Manoah can be what he once was, even if it's in a different role. Perhaps he becomes a high-leverage guy, maybe even a closer at some point. The stuff has always been there for him. The swing-and-miss ability is off the charts when he's at his best and has already proved that in the MLB. Becoming one of the best three pitchers in the game? That might be a bit of a stretch.

Add us as a preferred source on Google