| Sean Manaea | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Manaea with the Mets in 2025 | |
| New York Mets – No. 59 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1992-02-01)February 1, 1992 (age 33) Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 29, 2016, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 79–66 |
| Earned run average | 4.08 |
| Strikeouts | 1,184 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Sean Anthony Manaea (/məˈnaɪə/mə-NY-ə;[1] born February 1, 1992) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for theNew York Mets ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theOakland Athletics,San Diego Padres, andSan Francisco Giants. Manaea playedcollege baseball for theIndiana State Sycamores. He made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Athletics.
While attending Indiana State, Manaea was named the best prospect in theCape Cod Baseball League in 2012. TheKansas City Royals selected Manaea with the 34th pick in the2013 MLB draft, and traded him to the Athletics during the 2015 season. He debuted in MLB in 2016, and pitched ano-hitter on April 21, 2018. Oakland traded Manaea to the Padres before the 2022 season, and he signed with the Giants for the 2023 season. After opting out of his contract and becoming a free agent, Manaea signed with the Mets for the 2024 season. He opted out again after the season, and re-signed with the Mets on a three-year contract.
Manaea was raised inWanatah, Indiana, a town with a population of 1,000.[2][3] He attendedSouth Central Junior-Senior High School inUnion Mills, Indiana, for his first three years of high school.[1] After his junior year, he competed in the first All-Indiana Crossroads Showcase Series.[4] Manaea transferred toAndrean High School inMerrillville, Indiana. Playing for the baseball team at Andrean, Manaea was part of the state champions in 2010, his senior year.[5] He threw afastball between 82–85 miles per hour (132–137 km/h).[6]
Not selected in theMajor League Baseball (MLB) draft out of high school,[7] Manaea enrolled atIndiana State University (ISU), where he playedcollege baseball for theIndiana State Sycamores baseball team, competing in theMissouri Valley Conference of NCAA'sDivision I. After his freshman year at ISU, Manaea playedcollegiate summer baseball for theDubois County Bombers of theProspect League.[8] Manaea was 5–3 with a 3.34 ERA and recorded 115strikeouts (13th in the nation) in 105innings pitched for the Sycamores as a sophomore.[9][10]
Following his sophomore year at Indiana State, he competed for theHyannis Harbor Hawks in theCape Cod Baseball League, where he went 5–1 with a 1.22earned run average (ERA) and a league-leading 85 strikeouts (setting the modern record for a single summer) in51+2⁄3 innings pitched, and won the league's Outstanding Prospect Award, and was named the B.F.C Whitehouse Top Pitcher, Summer National Player of the Year by Perfect Game USA, and the Cape Cod League's top prospect byBaseball America.[10][1][5][11][12][13] In 2013, Manaea was named a PreseasonAll-American[14] and added to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List.[15] He compiled a 5–4 record, a 1.47 ERA, and 93 strikeouts in73+1⁄3 innings, ranking fourth in the nation instrikeouts per 9 innings pitched (11.4), while leading the league with 5 balks.[16][9][17] By the end of his collegiate career, his fastball reached as high as 97 miles per hour (156 km/h).[6]
Considered a top prospect in the2013 Major League Baseball draft,[1][5] Manaea wasscouted by theHouston Astros, who had thefirst overall pick.[18] However, he had a hip injury that he pitched through during his junior year at Indiana State. Misdiagnosed as ahip impingement that he could play through as it healed, Manaea pitched through pain and saw his velocity decrease.[9] He was not selected until theKansas City Royals took him with the 34th pick of the draft.[19] The Royals signed Manaea to a $3.55 millionsigning bonus, above the recommended value for the 34th pick of $1,623,000.[17] He had surgery to repair a tornacetabular labrum in his hip and missed the remainder of the 2013 season.[9][20]
With Manaea healthy in time forspring training in 2014, the Royals assigned him to theWilmington Blue Rocks of theHigh-ACarolina League, with the plan to limit him to 150 innings pitched for the 2014 season.[9] Manaea had a 7–8 record with a 3.11 ERA in 25 games started, leading the Carolina League with 146 strikeouts in121+2⁄3 innings (10.8 strikeouts per 9 innings).[21][22] He was named an MiLB Organization 2014 All Star.[23]
He missed the beginning of the 2015 season with abdominal and groin injuries. After making four starts for Wilmington, Manaea received a promotion to theNorthwest Arkansas Naturals of theDouble-ATexas League in July, for whom he pitched seven innings.[24]
The Royals traded Manaea andAaron Brooks to theOakland Athletics on July 28, 2015, in exchange forBen Zobrist.[25] The Athletics assigned him to theMidland RockHounds of the Texas League.[26] With Midland, Manaea made seven starts, and had a 1.90 ERA with 51 strikeouts in42+2⁄3 innings pitched.[27] He was named an MiLB Organization 2015 All Star.[23] Pitching for theMesa Solar Sox in 2015, he was named an AFL Rising Star and to the AFL All-Prospect Team.[23]
He began the 2016 season with theNashville Sounds of theTriple-APacific Coast League.[28]
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After he made three starts for Nashville, with whom he was 2–0 with a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings with 21 strikeouts, the Athletics promoted Manaea to the major leagues to make his debut on April 29.[29][30] In his rookie season in 2016, Manaea pitched to a 7–9 win–loss record and a 3.86 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) covering144+2⁄3 innings.[31] Manaea was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left shoulder strain on April 30, 2017.[32][33]
Manaea completed his 16th consecutive outing in which he pitched at least two innings allowing no more than five hits on June 5. Manaea surpassedTom Gordon's streak of 15 games (June 24 – September 2, 1992), becoming the longest such streak by anAmerican League (AL) pitcher since 1913.[34] In 16 starts prior to theAll-Star break, Manaea had a 3.76 ERA.[35] He struggled with weight loss during the season due to changing dosage of anattention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication he was prescribed in the spring, going from 255 to 230 pounds (116 to 104 kg). He ended the 2017 season with a 12–10 record and a 4.37 ERA in 29 starts covering158+2⁄3 innings.[36][33]
On April 21, 2018, Manaeano-hit theBoston Red Sox 3–0 atOakland-Alameda County Coliseum, becoming the first Athletics pitcher to throw a no-hitter sinceDallas Braden's perfect game in 2010. He struck out 10 and walked two.[37][38] With a .894 winning percentage, the Red Sox had the best record, at the time, of any team to be no-hit in baseball history.[39] Manaea andManny Machado were named the AL'sCo-Players of the Week for the week ending April 22.[40] In his next start against theHouston Astros on April 27, Manaea pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out seven as the A's won 8–1.[41] In August, Manaea went on the disabled list due to an impingement in his left shoulder.[42] On September 11, he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to arthroscopic surgery to repair the impingement.[43] He ended the 2018 season with a 12–9 record in 27 starts covering160+2⁄3 innings in which he averaged 7.9 hits and 1.8 walks per 9 innings, with a 1.077 WHIP, and his 9 wild pitches were 10th in the AL.[33] He tied for the major league lead in bunt hits given up, with six.[44]
Manaea began the 2019 season rehabilitating his shoulder, aiming to return to the Athletics at midseason.[45] He made his season debut in September. In five starts, he was 4–0 with 30 strikeouts in29+2⁄3 innings.[33] Earning the start in the2019 AL Wild Card Game against theTampa Bay Rays. He allowed four runs on four hits, including three home runs, despite striking out five, leading to his exit after two-plus innings in an eventual 5–1 Oakland loss.[46]
In 2020, Manaea and the Athletics agreed to a $3.75 million salary.[47] He finished the pandemic-shortened season with a record of 4–3 and a 4.50 ERA in 11 starts covering 54 innings.[33] As Oakland advanced in the playoffs, Manaea pitched against theHouston Astros in Game 2 of the2020 American League Division Series. He took the loss as he allowed four runs in4+1⁄3 innings.[48]
Manaea and the Athletics agreed on a $5.95 million salary for the 2021 season.[49] He led the AL with 32 starts and two shutouts for the Athletics in 2021, and went 11–10 with a 3.91 ERA (10th in the AL) with 194 strikeouts (8th) in179+2⁄3 innings (8th), with 4.732 strikeouts/walk (4th), 2.058 walks per 9 innings (6th), 9.736 strikeouts per 9 innings (7th), 8.983 hits per 9 innings (9th), 1.255 home runs/9 innings (9th), and a 1.227 WHIP (10th).[33] On March 22, 2022, Manaea signed a $9.75 million contract with Oakland, avoiding salary arbitration.[50]
On April 3, 2022, the Athletics traded Manaea and Aaron Holiday to theSan Diego Padres forAdrián Martínez andEuribiel Angeles. In 2022 with San Diego he was 8–9 with a 4.96 ERA in 30 games (28 starts) in which he pitched 158 innings and struck out 156 batters.[29]
Manaea became a free agent following the conclusion of the 2022 season.[51][52][53]
On December 16, 2022, Manaea signed a two-year, $25 million contract with theSan Francisco Giants.[54] He made 37 appearances (10 starts) for the Giants in 2023, compiling a 7–6 record and 4.44 ERA with 128 strikeouts across117+2⁄3 innings pitched. On November 5, 2023, Manaea opted out of the second year of his contract and became a free agent.[55]
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On January 12, 2024, Manaea signed a two-year, $28 million contract with theNew York Mets including an opt-out after the 2024 season.[56] On June 26, Manaea recorded the 1,000th strikeout of his career, fanningJuan Soto in the third inning of a 12–2 victory over theNew York Yankees.[57] Manaea made 32 starts for the Mets in 2024, posting a 12–6 record and a 3.47 ERA with 184 strikeouts across 1812⁄3 innings pitched, setting a career high.[58]
Manaea earned the first postseason win of his career on October 8, pitching seven innings of one-run ball against thePhiladelphia Phillies in Game 3 of theNational League Division Series atCiti Field.[59] After the 2024 season, Manaea opted out of his contract with the Mets and became a free agent.[60] The Mets offered him a qualifying offer, but he declined.[61] On December 27, 2024, Manaea signed a three-year, $75 million contract to remain with the Mets.[62]
On February 24, 2025, the Mets announced that Manaea had suffered a right oblique strain and would be expected to begin the season on theinjured list.[63] He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 29.[64] He made his season debut on July 13 against theKansas City Royals in relief, but allowed a walk-off hit toNick Loftin in the bottom of the 9th inning.[65] Manaea was moved to the bullpen on September 14, after struggling to a 5.76 ERA across 10 starts.[66]
Manaea's father, Faaloloi, was born inLauliʻi, American Samoa,[67] moved toHawaii, served in theVietnam War, and was then stationed in Indiana, where he settled and worked for theInland Steel Company following his military service.[68][1] His mother, Opal, is a factory worker.[3] Manaea's older half-brother from his father's first marriage, David, died in January 2024 from cancer. Manaea took David's age at his death, 59, as his number with the Mets.[68][69] His other older brother, Dane, is in theUnited States Navy.[70]
Growing up in Indiana, Manaea was isolated from his father's Samoan culture.[71] Manaea first visited American Samoa in 2014. There, he began hissleeve tattoo, using traditional Samoan symbols.[72] Some of the tattoo signifies knowledge, wisdom and strength.[67]
Manaea and Talat Mirmalek, a former San Francisco Fire Departmentparamedic, were married in Indianapolis on November 16, 2024.[73]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher April 21, 2018 | Succeeded by |
