The disastrous minor-league outing from Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher Alek Manoah probably wasn't nearly bad as the stat line made it appear. Former MLB hitter Trevor Plouffe, now of Jomboy Media, explained why Manoah's 11-run, 2.2-inning outing should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

Alek Manoah pitched a game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where hitters take a much different approach than they do in the major leagues. It's unfair to judge Manoah too harshly when it isn't known how the Blue Jays told the pitcher to approach his minor-league assignment, according to Plouffe.

“It is not,” Ploufee told Chris Rose when asked if Manoah's outing was as alarming as it appears. “What he had done at the major-league level, that means so much more than what happens at the Florida Complex League. And I can give you a million examples of pitchers who hated going onto the back fields and pitching during spring training because the at-bats are not approached the same as they are in the big-league game. A lot of guys trying to ambush your fastball. Who knows what he was working on?”

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Manoah had a 6.37 ERA in 13 starts for the Blue Jays this season, so it's not to say that the 25-year-old will definitely turn things around. But MLB players who have experienced the Florida Complex League as major leaguers seem to believe that Manoah's start is being blown out of proportion.

“They could've told him you're not throwing any offspeed pitches,” Ploufee said. “We're just trying to locate a fastball today. That happens all of the time.  So without any specifics—I didn't get the scouting report on his pitch mix or anything from the Florida Complex League. The at-bats are different. Guys are young dudes, coming up there very aggressive, trying to take your head off. They're swinging all the time. He could've been working on one side of the plate. He could've been working on only breaking balls. There's so many things.”

Ploufee and Rose acknowledged that Manoah might not pitch again for the Blue Jays in 2023.