Griffin Canning

Griffin Alexander Canning...On Twitter: @griffin_canning...In June 2022, attended a 250 person youth baseball/softball clinic at Great Park Baseball Stadium in Irvine, Calif. as part of Play Ball Weekend, along with teammates Jimmy Herget, Brandon Marsh and Jared Walsh...As part of the Angels Adopt-A-School Program, visited La Veta Elementary School in Orange, Calif. in April 2022...Visited patients and their families at CHOC Children’s in July 2019 alongside teammates Michael Hermosillo and Matt Thaiss...Since his days in youth travel ball, has written the initials “JRH” (Jeffrey Robert Hayek) on back of mound before each start…Jeffrey was the grandson of Canning’s godmother (Diana) who suddenly passed away at age 10 from a blood clot in his brain in 2007… Although Griffin and Jeffrey never met, they both loved baseball and shared a connection through Diana.

2023

Pitched in 24 games (22 starts) for Angels, with a 7-8 record and 4.32 ERA (127.0 IP - 61 ER)...Set career bests in games pitched (24), starts (22), wins (7), ERA (4.32), innings pitched (127.0), strikeouts (139) and K-BB% (19.2%)...Notched career-high 12 strikeouts in July 17 start vs. New York (A.L.)...Earned win on May 23 vs. Boston after tossing a season-high 7.0 scoreless innings; matched longest scoreless appearance of career (also, 7.0 shutout frames on May 18, 2019 vs. KC)...Won career-high four consecutive decisions from May 23 to June 24...Season debut on April 12 vs. Washington marked first Major league appearance since July 2, 2021.

2022

Missed entire season on Angels' injured list with a low back stress reaction.

2021

Made Angels Opening Day roster for second consecutive season and totaled 14 pitching appearances (13 starts)... Angels averaged 7.91 runs of support per nine innings while Canning was on the mound, which was fourth-highest total among Major League starters (min. 50 IP)…In month of May, went 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA (25 IP - 10 ER) and 28 strikeouts in five starts...Relief appearance on April 20 was the second of his career (earned win after entering game in relief of Shohei Ohtani in fifth inning)...Played final two innings of game vs. Giants on June 23 in left field after entering in top of 12th inning...Marked first career appearance at a position other than pitcher...Recorded first career sacrifice hit in plate appearance in bottom of 12th...Optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on July 3, and made one start for Bees before being placed on minor league inured list...Missed final two months of season with a low back stress fracture.

2020

In second Major League season with Angels, won 2020 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award at pitcher... Second Angels pitcher to win the award, joining Mark Langston, who won five straight (1991-95)...At age-24, became second-youngest Angels player to win a Gold Glove (1B Jim Spencer -22 years old in 1970)...Allowed three-or-fewer runs in eight off 11 starts and ranked third on Angels staff in innings pitched (56.1) and strikeouts (56)... Set career high with 10 strikeouts in final start of regular season, Sept. 22 at San Diego... Finished year with 152 career strikeouts, which are second-most in Angels history through a pitcher’s first 29 career games (one shy of Jered Weaver’s Club record 153 strikeouts)...Held opponents to a .182 (10/55) average against his curveball...Was one of eight A.L. pitchers with multiple pickoffs.

2019

Began season with Triple-A Salt Lake, making three starts and allowing one earned run in 16 innings pitched (0.56 ERA) before receiving promotion to make Major League debut with Angels, April 30...With his debut, became first Angels draft pick to make MLB debut as starting pitcher with team since Garrett Richards (Aug. 10, 2011 at NYY)...Also became first player drafted by Billy Eppler as Angels general manager to reach the Majors and third player selected in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft to reach Majors, following: Kyle Wright (Braves – 5th overall pick) and Nick Margevicius (Padres – 7th round)...Set Angels record with 69 strikeouts through his first 12 career Major League games, breaking previous mark of 65 by Jered Weaver...Also broke Weaver’s record with 77 strikeouts through 14 career games...Recorded 5+ strikeouts in each of first nine career games before having streak snapped June 21 at St. Louis… Became one of four players in A.L. history with 5+ strikeouts in each of his first nine career games, joining Masahiro Tanaka (first 11 games in 2014), Herb Score (first 10 games in 1955) and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (first nine games in 1998)...Held opponents to a .184 average (9/49) against his curveball...Also kept opposing hitters to a .167 (22/132) average during first time through batting order in a game... Opponents swung and missed on 32.2% of swings, which was seventh highest rate in A.L. (min. 80 IP).