Attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif....in his senior year, he led his team to win the 2014 CIF SS Division 1 Championship...During his final season at UCLA in 2017, he led the Pac-12 Conference in strikeouts (140) and innings pitched (119) and ranked third in ERA (2.34) and fourth in batting average against (.213), earning Collegiate Baseball All-American second team honors, while also being selected to the All-Pac-12 team and being named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist...Originally drafted by the Rockies in the 38th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (did not sign)...Always has a ball in his hand on the day he pitches. He does not like to hold the ball for the first time when he takes the mound...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...Off the field hobbies include hiking, surfing and photography.
2025
Opened the 2025 campaign as the Mets’ No. 3 starter in a season that was cut short due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon after 16 starts...Owned a 2.36 ERA (11 ER, 42.0 IP) through his first eight starts, the 13th-best mark for a starter through their first eight starts with the franchise…it was the 12th-best mark at the time, but it was topped later in the season by teammate Nolan McLean’s 2.06 ERA…Canning and McLean’s ERAs were the best marks through a pitcher’s first eight starts with the Mets since Taijuan Walker posted a 2.05 ERA through his first eight turns in 2021...Earned the winning decision in five consecutive starts from April 11-May 5, becoming the first Met to earn a win in at least five consecutive starts since Zack Wheeler did so in six straight starts from July 14-Aug. 15, 2018...Over a six-game stretch from April 17-May 17, he completed at least five innings and surrendered two or fewer earned runs for the first time in his career...over that same span, he posted a 1.67 ERA (6 ER, 32.1 IP), which was his lowest ERA over any six-game stretch of his career...In 10 starts vs. NL opponents, Canning went 6-0 with a 2.59 ERA (14 ER, 48.2 IP) and held opponents to a .600 OPS, with the Mets going 9-1 in those games...In comparison, in six starts against Interleague opponents, he owns a 1-3 record, a 5.86 ERA (18 ER, 27.2 IP), and opponents have an .820 OPS...Suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon on June 26 vs. Atlanta and underwent successful surgery the following day on June 27...Through his first 16 starts, his 3.77 ERA was his best mark (second best was 4.46 in 2023) and his seven wins were his most through his first 16 starts of a season...In those 16 starts, Canning produced a plus-five rating in Net Bases Prevented (a sum of advances prevented, and outs added assigned to the pitcher) according to Baseball Savant...at the time of his injury, it was tied for the most in ‘25 with teammate David Peterson and Atlanta’s Grant Holmes...from 2020-25, he is tied for fourth with 21 Net Bases Prevented...Threw his slider more than he ever had before in ’25, upping the slider usage to 31.5% of the time compared to 24.1% in 2024 and 29.9% during 2023...he picked up 27 of his strikeouts with his slider and generated a 33.5% whiff rate on the pitch...he generated 74 swing and misses with his slider this season, which was the 10th-most in the Majors upon the date of his last appearance...During Spring Training, he struck out 22 batters over his 14.1 innings of work, highlighted by his nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings vs. Tampa Bay on March 17...His 22 strikeouts ranked ninth in the Grapefruit League.
2024
Made a career-high 32 appearances and 31 starts for the Angels...His 99 earned runs were the most in the AL...Threw a career-high 171.2 innings...Came out of the bullpen on Aug. 22 at Toronto, his fifth career relief appearance...He entered the game in the third inning and held Toronto scoreless in his six innings of work.
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).
