West Virginia pitcher Alek Manoah selected No. 11 overall in MLB Draft

West Virginia pitching ace Alek Manoah has been selected with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, heading to the Toronto Blue Jays to continue his baseball career. Manoah becomes the second player in the history of the Mountaineer baseball program to be drafted in the top 15 of the draft — the other being former pitcher Chris Enochs (1997, No. 11 overall to the Oakland Athletics).

Manoah, the 6’-6”, 260lb junior from Miami, Florida, spent his first two seasons in Morgantown as a bullpen arm and spot starter for head coach Randy Mazey, but it was a stint with the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League in the Summer of 2018 that allowed him to harness his fastball. Manoah emerged as one of the country’s top pitchers during West Virginia’s 2019 campaign. Alek went on to be named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year after leading the conference with a 2.08 ERA and 144 strikeouts, and was named a first-team All-American — just the fourth in program history.

The No. 11 pick is valued at $4.55 million, though the exact amount Manoah will sign for could deviate from that.