A look inside a start day for Alek Manoah

TORONTO -- Step inside a start day with Alek Manoah.

Routines can be complicated and steeped in superstition. Here’s what Manoah’s look like, starting the night before a 7:07 p.m. local start.

THE NIGHT BEFORE -- MANOAH’S PLACE

11:00 p.m.
After the game, Manoah’s fiancée, Marielena, makes a “special” grilled chicken with rice, beans and avocado. There’s typically a salad, too.

Manoah wants to be in bed before midnight.

THE MORNING OF -- MANOAH’S PLACE

8:15 a.m.
“I wake up around 8:00, 8:30 and take the dog out …”

That’s news to me. “We’ve got a little Yorkie,” Manoah says, named Ace. Suddenly, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound man is beaming about a six-inch-tall, six-pound hound.

“It’s kind of funny. It was a gift,” Manoah said. “And it was the greatest gift ever.”

9:30 a.m.
It’s breakfast time. Marielena typically makes scrambled eggs with peppers and onions alongside some bacon, oatmeal and toast. She does an avocado spread on hers.

10:00 a.m.
After breakfast, Manoah reads his Bible. When he’s done, he drops to his knees for a 10-minute prayer.

10:30 a.m.
This is when the physical part starts. Manoah goes into a “mobility circuit” to loosen up his hips and legs.

11:30 a.m.
It’s time for a walk. At home, they’ll walk through Yorkville. If he’s alone, Manoah puts his headphones on and starts his J. Cole playlist for the first time. This is also where Manoah’s gameday fits come to life.

“On the road, they’re laid out,” Manoah said. “If I know I’ve got two starts, I’ll specifically pack what I want to wear for those two starts. At home, when we’re walking around, I’ll either buy something or when I get home, I’ll lay something out.”

1:00 p.m.
After lunch, it’s nap time. The big man needs an hour.

2:15 p.m.
“I wake up and put J. Cole on LOUD,” Manoah said. “I have a J. Cole playlist that I play. It’s the same playlist every time. It’s the same order of songs. It starts with ‘No Role Modelz'".

Then, it’s time to shower, get dressed and go to work.

THE DAY OF -- ROGERS CENTRE, DOWNTOWN TORONTO

3:00 p.m.
“I get to the ballpark around 3:00 and change into my lucky underwear and tank top.”

Your what?

Manoah smirks and turns to his locker. He finally finds a pair of underwear that could fit several Manoahs. “They’re so stretched out,” he said, and full of holes, which he displays proudly. He got this pair of Blue Jays underwear in his first Spring Training.

3:30 p.m.
Manoah meets with Pete Walker and Alejandro Kirk. These have changed over the years. Manoah was brilliant in his 2021 debut against the Yankees, but after some trouble in his second outing against the Marlins, he started to adjust the meetings.

“I’m not used to these scouting reports being like this,” Manoah said. “I’m used to matching my strengths with their weaknesses, but at the end of the day, we need to match my strengths with my strengths. It changed from there. Gradually, over time, I’ve taken control of the meetings now.”

3:50 p.m.
After the meeting, Manoah meditates for 10 minutes. On the road, he finds a quiet room. MLB Mental Performance Coach Jimmy VanOstrand is the “bodyguard” who watches the door.

4:10 p.m.
Now, it’s time for the pregame playlist. After his J. Cole kick, this one starts with three straight Young Thug songs in the hot tub.

4:30 p.m.
Manoah showers -- yes, there are a lot of showers on a start day -- and heads to the training room. The next hour-plus is spent between there and the weight room, preparing his body for that night’s performance.

6:05 p.m.
“I come back to the training room and throw some baby powder between the legs,” Manoah said, “or if it’s cold out, put a little Red Hot all over my body.”

6:15 p.m.
Manoah is in full uniform and walking up the dugout steps. It’s time for a prayer, then a leg stretch and exercises with bands and weighted balls. From here, things get really specific.

6:37 p.m.
“At 6:37 or 6:38, I start tossing the football,” Manoah said. “Usually around 6:50, I’m done with the football and long toss, then I transfer into the bullpen. I get some water, take a couple of breaths and it’s usually 6:52 or 6:53 by then.”

6:52 p.m.
Manoah throws fastballs early in the bullpen, then changeups. After pausing for anthems, Manoah throws some sliders and ends with fastballs before he walks in.

7:07 p.m.
Drake’s ‘No Friends in the Industry’ plays. It’s time for first pitch.