Griffin Alexander Canning...On Twitter: @griffin_canning...Originally signed by Angels scout Ben Diggins...Visited patients and their families at CHOC Children’s in July 2019 alongside teammates Michael Hermosillo and Matt Thaiss...Selected as Angels’ No. 2 prospect entering 2019 by Baseball America and the top pitching prospect in Halos organization...Also selected as having Best Slider in Angels system...Was starting pitcher in two combined no-hitters for Double-A Mobile in 2018...Pitched five no-hit innings April 28 at Montgomery to combine with Matt Custred (3 IP) and Ryan Clark (1 IP) for Mobile’s first no-hitter since 2013... Tossed 4.1 no-hit innings May 14 vs. Birmingham and combined with Greg Mahle (1.2 IP), Adrian Almeida (1.2 IP) and Ryan Clark (1.1 IP) for BayBears second no-hitter of season...After being drafted in June 2017, spent that summer at Angels minor league facility in Tempe, working on strength and conditioning...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...During final season at UCLA, led Pac-12 Conference in strikeouts (140) and innings pitched (119) and ranked third in ERA (2.34) and fourth in batting average against (.213)...Tabbed as a Collegiate Baseball All-American second team honoree and was selected to All-Pac-12 team...Named a 2017 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist...Attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA...Off the field hobbies include hiking, surfing and photography.
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).
