Gage Canning Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Gage Parker Canning
Born 04/23/1997 in Ramona, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Arizona State
Drafted in the 5th round (161st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2018 (signed for $308,900).

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After leading Arizona State in most offensive categories as a sophomore, Canning has taken steps forward across the board during his junior season with career-highs in doubles, triples, home runs and walks while hitting .387/.436/.672 through the first 43 games of the season. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Canning will likely never be a huge power threat, but he does bring some strength to the table with a line drive approach that should net him plenty of extra-base hits. Canning does have some swing and miss concerns, as he struck out 30 percent of the time as a freshman before cutting that rate almost in half during his sophomore campaign. That rate was back up to the 21 percent range after 43 games, but he has walked more frequently as a junior. Canning played right field as a freshman and sophomore but has made a strong transition to center field this spring, running down balls in the gaps and continuing to improve his jumps and route-running ability. There aren't too many holes in Canning's game, aside from his proclivity for strikeouts and lack of a wood bat track record, and his spring season is among the best of the 2018 college draft class.

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Track Record: Canning had a career-year at the plate for Arizona State during his junior season and hit .369/.426/.648 with nine home runs, 11 triples and 17 doubles. At the same time, he moved from right field to center field and had no issues with the position change, prompting the Nationals to sign his solid all-around package for $308,900 in the fifth round.

Scouting Report: A 5-foot-10, 175-pound lefthanded hitter, Canning will likely never have plus raw power, but he has plenty of strength in his compact frame that leads to 55-grade raw power and could become above-average in-game with some adjustments at the plate. An aggressive hitter, Canning had strikeout concerns throughout college and whiffed almost 29 percent of the time in the South Atlantic and New York-Penn leagues. He'll need to cut down his swing in two-strike counts and learn how to make adjustments within at-bats to project as a solid hitter moving forward. A plus runner, Canning will also need to improve his baserunning to better utilize a strong tool, though it's enough to project him as a solid center fielder moving forward with improved route-running and more reps.

The Future: Canning has a solid package of tools and a high-energy playing style that is endearing, but refinement will be necessary in all phases of his game.

After leading Arizona State in most offensive categories as a sophomore, Canning has taken steps forward across the board during his junior season with career-highs in doubles, triples, home runs and walks while hitting .387/.436/.672 through the first 43 games of the season. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Canning will likely never be a huge power threat, but he does bring some strength to the table with a line drive approach that should net him plenty of extra-base hits. Canning does have some swing and miss concerns, as he struck out 30 percent of the time as a freshman before cutting that rate almost in half during his sophomore campaign. That rate was back up to the 21 percent range after 43 games, but he has walked more frequently as a junior. Canning played right field as a freshman and sophomore but has made a strong transition to center field this spring, running down balls in the gaps and continuing to improve his jumps and route-running ability. There aren't too many holes in Canning's game, aside from his proclivity for strikeouts and lack of a wood bat track record, and his spring season is among the best of the 2018 college draft class.