ARLINGTON, Texas — Detroit Tigers right-hander Matt Manning, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has a 4.73 ERA with a 16.1% strikeout rate across 33 starts in parts of three MLB seasons.
Too many earned runs, not enough strikeouts and too many injuries.
The 25-year-old was shut down before he could get settled into the 2023 campaign, as a batted ball broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot at the end of his second start. He missed 11 weeks.
“I think there’s still plenty of room left for him to develop,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I liked the fact that he used the time off between the broken foot and today to address a few things. … The velocity has been a little bit better, and the secondary stuff has gotten better with the velocity. That’s probably the most important takeaway.”
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Manning joined the Tigers in June 2021 for his MLB debut and made 18 starts. He took a step forward in 2022 but was limited to 12 starts because of multiple injuries: shoulder inflammation, biceps tendinitis and a forearm strain. A freak accident in April 2023 set him back again.
During his time on the injured list, Manning worked with assistant pitching coach (and biomechanics expert) Robin Lund.
They focused on optimizing how his body and arm move — as well as how fast he moves down the mound — to take advantage of his elite extension as a product of his 6-foot-6 stature. The 7.1-foot extension is the primary reason why he has one of the best fastballs in baseball, despite below-average velocity and spin rate.
Manning didn’t share the details of his lessons with Lund.
“I’ve just been working this whole 10 weeks,” Manning said, when asked about increasing his fastball velocity. “I didn’t have a foot, so I was just using the arm.”
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In Tuesday’s 8-3 loss, Manning returned to the starting rotation to face the Texas Rangers — the best team in the American League West with one of the best offenses in baseball — at Globe Life Field. He allowed two runs on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 5⅔ innings, throwing 47 of 84 pitches for strikes.
He used 49 four-seam fastballs (58%), 19 curveballs (23%), 13 sliders (15%) and three changeups (4%).
All five of his whiffs were generated by his fastball, which was concerning because he needs to establish swing-and-miss secondary pitches. Developing reliable second and third pitches, aside from his fastball, might be the key to Manning unlocking the best version of himself as a pitcher.
“I don’t think he was landing them enough, but he kept trying,” Hinch said of Manning’s secondary pitches. “A good fastball at times. He did go to his changeup a little bit. That registered on the board more like fastballs, but they weren’t. A few breaking balls in there. Something to build on, but also some stuff to work on.”
His raw pitches were sharp based on velocity and movement, but he struggled to command his pitches to the arm side. Commanding his fastball, specifically to the arm side, should lead to better results for his secondary pitches in the future.
His four-seam fastball averaged 93.5 mph (an increase of 0.5 mph from his first two starts), his curveball averaged 80.1 mph (an increase of 0.9 mph) and his slider averaged 83 mph (an increase of 2.1 mph).
The fastball maxed out at 97.3 mph.
“When I had my good fastball and good slider, all my results were really good,” Manning said. “As I go on, if I can just hold my good stuff throughout a whole game, I’ll be able to get more punch outs, get deeper into games and have a little more flexibility there.”
Manning showcased the best version of his slider-fastball combination against Ezequiel Duran in the second inning. He threw back-to-back sliders — located perfectly on the outside edge of the strike zone — before an up-and-in 94 mph fastball produced a swinging strikeout.
In three starts, Manning has a 4.15 ERA with seven walks and 11 strikeouts across 17⅓ innings.
The three-pitch strikeout against Duran was a reminder of Manning’s potential when he blends mid-90s fastball velocity with command of his secondary pitches. But the four walks against the Rangers were a reminder of his inconsistencies.
“I think there’s plenty of room (for development),” Hinch said. “He needs to pitch and log some innings and get some rhythm of the season. It’s been so many broken seasons for him, and he’s fresh. That’s important as we get to this part of the season, for him to take down some innings and match that quality so he can sustain himself as a major-league option.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.