Tigers Prospect Matt Manning Is an Ace in the Making

Let’s start with a comp, courtesy of Connecticut Tigers pitching coach Ace Adams:

“He reminds me of Jonathan Papelbon, who I had for a couple of years with the Red Sox. The same type of arm action, the same type of delivery; the stature, the arm strength. There’s a lot of life on the four-seamer.”

The “he” in question is pitcher Matt Manning, whom Detroit drafted ninth-overall last year out of a Sacramento, California, high school. The 19-year-old right-hander — all six feet, six inches of him — is being tutored by the longtime pitching coach in short-season ball.

Papelbon was a starter before becoming a reliever, and if all goes as planned, Manning will remain in a rotation for the duration of his career. Adams feels he has a chance to be “pretty special,” and the scouting world pretty much agrees. Baseball America, MLB.com, and our own Eric Longenhagen all rank Manning as the top prospect in the Tigers’ system.

What Manning lacks — even more than most pitchers his age — is experience.

“If there’s something he needs to work on, it would be that he needs to pitch more,” said Adams. “He’s just a baby. He pitched six innings his last time out, and that’s the second time he’s pitched six innings — in his life. He’s a puppy. If there’s one weakness, that’s it: he hasn’t really pitched a lot. He’s new to this whole thing.”

Manning spent time on the travel-ball circuit, but a lot of his focus was on the basketball court. His father, Rich Manning, played in the NBA, and the youngster was poised to become a two-sport athlete at Loyola Marymount had the Tigers not enticed him with a $3.5 million signing bonus. When I talked to him last week, Manning explained that he didn’t start pitching seriously until his junior year of high school, and it wasn’t until after his senior year that he “became just a baseball player.”

Adams put it this way: “I think he was more of a basketball player, but then he went to a few showcases and told himself, ‘Hey, maybe this baseball thing is pretty good.’”

His fastball is outstanding, and the youngster knows it.

“My four-seam is my best pitch,” said Manning. “I’ve been told I kind of have a rise to it, which makes my elevated fastball effective. I think I’m definitely a power pitcher. My stuff is… I’m not trying to throw 97 every pitch, but I think I can put hitters away with a power fastball when I need to.”

According to Adams, when Manning has at least two of his pitches working, “he’s un-hittable at this level.” That was in evidence a few weeks ago when he fanned six of the first seven batters he faced in his Connecticut Tigers debut. (He’d begun the season in extended spring training.)

Along with the explosive four-seamer, the righty features a two-seamer, a changeup, and a spike curve. The latter is an offering he learned from his “pitching coach back home, Randy Waite,” and while it lacks consistency, it can flummox hitters. His mechanics are solid. Adams feels he’s building a strong foundation, and — despite his length — he repeats his delivery well.

Manning readily admits he has yet to make the full conversion from thrower to pitcher. At the same time, he feels he’s making strides in that direction.

“I’m getting there,” opined Manning. “With every outing, I’m getting closer. The knowledge, the terms I’m using — the way I’m talking about hitters and approaching games — is different than me just trying to blow the ball by everybody. I’m not out there trying to miss bats. Ideally, the batter is either on or out in three pitches or less.”

Long-term results are what the Tigers are most concerned about, which is why they’ve had Manning taking baby steps in his first 12-plus months of pro ball. And along with trying to keep his right arm heathy, there is the mental component to consider. Manning considers himself even-keeled on the mound — “my drive is more internal” — but a lot of expectations come with being a first-round pick.

“He’s got a mark behind him, and that mark can be a tough thing,” said Adams. “He signed for some money. Sometimes the pressure is a lot, because everyone has their eyes on you. But he’s handled it well. He really has. He’s a special kid.”