"You kinda gotta get punched in the mouth" - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s teammate Alex Manoah reveals hard truths about adversity and World Series grind

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s teammate Alek Manoah was poised to be the next big thing with the Toronto Blue Jays following a brilliant second year in the big leagues. He was an All-Star and finished third in the Cy Young voting in 2022, but he fell off in subsequent seasons.

In 2023, his ERA ballooned to 5.87 in less than 100 innings and he was sent to the Florida Complex League. Last season, he was better, but he still had -0.4 bWAR in five starts.

The pitcher is on his way back from surgery and ready to return to the level he was playing at before. He believes the experience will pay dividends for himself and the Blue Jays in the long run.

"It just never clicked for me and then obviously the struggles of the day to day, it could be like that," Manoah said on Monday, via 'Foul Territory.' Obviously, we're a contending team, any other organization, I probably would've gone through some of those headaches probably at the big-league level."

Manoah also said that the Blue Jays are "trying to win a World Series every year" so there's not much time to let prospects and young players figure it out at the MLB level as they can't afford that in pursuit of a championship.

"You kind of gotta get punched in the mouth to know what you're made of and to know what you're built like," Manoah said.

He added that some players never reach the highs he has reached and he's grateful to have experienced it. He has been working hard to get back to that level and help the team win a title.

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Alek Manoah reflects on rehab journey

Alek Manoah remains on the sideline as he rehabilitates a UCL injury, one of the most difficult for pitchers to come back from. When asked if he was bored while having to sit idly, he revealed via Sportsnet that he has found things to keep him busy.

Alek Manoah is nearing a return (Imagn)

Manoah shared that he spends a lot of time watching his teammates throw bullpen sessions or practice fielding their positions so he can keep learning while he's not practicing.

"Only guys (who) have been through it kind of understand," Manoah said on Monday. "But I find ways to stay busy."

He credited former New York Yankees star Chad Green for helping him. Green went through a similar experience a few seasons ago.