Griffin Canning

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #2 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Angels slow-played Canning in 2017, keeping him in Arizona to work on strength and conditioning after he threw 119 innings over 17 starts as UCLA junior. He took the mound as a pro in 2018 and skyrocketed, rising three levels from high Class A to Triple-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Limber and athletic, wiry and strong, Canning generates tremendous arm speed and torque out of his thin frame. His four-pitch mix includes a four-seam fastball that now averages 94-95 mph and touches 98, up from 90-94 in college. He has two above-average secondary pitches, an 85-87 mph slider that runs down and away from righthanded batters and an 80-82 curveball with 11-to-5 shape. His changeup is rarely used but flashes average and is improving. Canning has a mental edge to rival his stuff. He is fearless on the mound and seems to dial up his velocity and command in big spots.
  
  The Future: Canning shook off reports of "potential issues"in a predraft MRI by showing durability under a 113-inning workload. His size and stuff draw frequent comparisons with fellow UCLA product and Indians righthander Trevor Bauer. He is on track to reach the big leagues in 2019 and settle in as a mid-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #9 prospect in 2018
  A heavy workload as a junior at UCLA and a report of “potential issues” in a pre-draft MRI test didn't scare the Angels off Canning, a projected first-round pick who fell to the second round, No. 47 overall, and signed for $1.459 million. The Angels were comfortable with Canning's medicals, but were still very careful with him. Canning spent the summer in Arizona working on strength and conditioning and didn't pitch for an affiliate–making him one of the few top 50 picks to not get into an official game. Canning's four-pitch mix includes a four-seam fastball between 90-94 mph with high spin rate that he commands, and a slider, curveball and changeup all flash ab0ve-average potential. His changeup was his go-to secondary pitch as a sophomore, but he threw more breaking balls as a junior, when he went 7-4, 2.34 in 119 innings over 17 starts, finishing second in the nation with 140 strikeouts, walking 32 and holding opponents to a .213 average. He showed durability under a robust workload in 2017, throwing a 134-pitch shutout of rival Southern California in early May. Canning is a polished and advanced college pitcher who could move quickly through the system, but he needs to show he is healthy. Canning will make his pro debut on Opening Day 2018 and projects as a mid-rotation starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #26 prospect in 2017 draft
  An unsigned Rockies 38th-round pick in 2014, Canning jumped straight into UCLA's rotation as a freshman with an 11-1 strikeout-walk ratio in 64 innings and hasn't looked back much since then. While the Bruins lack an explosive offense that would give him gaudy win totals, he had improved his consistency of stuff to become one of the nation's top starters as a junior. He's grown into his listed 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame and was among the national leaders in strikeouts with a four-pitch mix, with scouts at times seeing all four pitches as plus. Others consider his repertoire average to above-average, but scouts see him as a future starter with a clean arm and delivery. Canning has weapons and knows how to use them, pitching off his 90-94 mph four-seam fastball that features a high spin rate and peaks at 95. He throws plenty of strikes with it, showing average fastball command. That helps him consistently get ahead of hitters, who he can put away with either a slider, curveball or changeup. His change was a go-to secondary pitch as a sophomore, though he's thrown more breaking balls this spring, with the curveball usually ranking ahead of the slider according to many scouts. Like most UCLA aces under John Savage, Canning has shown durability under a robust workload, including 134-pitch shutout of rival Southern California in early May. Teams that see him as a future No. 3 starter, the high-end projection for him, will jump on him in the first round.
• Ranked #289 prospect in 2014 draft
  A lanky, projectable 6-foot-2, 175-pound righthander, Canning struck out 83 in 64 innings as a high school senior. He lacks present strength but has the makings of a solid three-pitch mix. His fastball sits at 87-89 mph and touches 91, but he has room to fill out and could see his velocity jump at UCLA. He also spins a promising breaking ball with good rotation and bite and has feel for a changeup. Canning competes hard on the mound and shows good aptitude, suggesting he could blossom into a higher-profile prospect in three years.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #4 prospect in 2018
  Canning shot from high Class A all the way to Triple-A in his first pro season and flashed a power arsenal with a 93-97 mph fastball and plus curveball. After initially struggling with the level adjustment he posted a 3.82 ERA in his final eight PCL starts, mostly at elevation. Canning isn’t particularly big, but he generates a lot of arm speed and torque with wiry strength and limber athleticism. His plus fastball and high-spin 80-82 mph curveball are his primary weapons, and he flashed an average-to-above 85-88 mph slider to get back into counts when he fell behind. Canning’s power stuff allowed him to rack up strikeouts even though his command still needs work. In part due to the effort in his delivery, Canning’s fastball command can be scattered, though he’s effectively wild at times and pushes righthanded hitters back off the plate. His changeup was also below-average, and developing that as a soft offering to counterbalance his arsenal will be important. Canning never pitched more than five innings in 13 PCL starts, so building durability will be key to reach his Trevor Bauer-esque potential.
• 
  Ranked Southern League #4 prospect in 2018
  A first-round talent in 2017, Canning fell to the second round because of concerns about a heavy college workload and an undisclosed medical issue. The Angels didn’t pitch him last year before putting him on the fast track in 2018, when he flew through high Class A and Double-A to spend the bulk of his pro debut at Triple-A. He recorded a 3.65 ERA in 25 starts while striking out 125 in 113 innings. Canning drew multiple comparisons with Trevor Bauer for a combination of his UCLA roots, physique, delivery and repertoire. Canning sits 95 mph with a plus fastball that gets on batters quickly out of a fast-paced delivery, short stride and loose arm. His hammer curveball grades as plus and peaks in the high 80s. He excels at working north-south with his fastball and curve, while also mixing in a high-80s slider/cutter and a changeup that projects to average. Canning shows poise on the mound, throws four pitches and controls the running game, making him a probable No. 3 starter.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #63 prospect in 2019

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  The former UCLA standout shot through the system from high Class A to Triple-A in his first two months of pro ball. His fastball velocity took a big jump and now averages 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph. He has two above-average secondary pitches—an 85-87 mph slider that runs down and away from righthanders and an 80-82 mph curveball with 11-to-5 shape—and his fourth-pitch changeup is improving. He is fearless and dials up his velocity and command in big spots, giving him the total package of one of the top pitching prospects in the game.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A heavy workload as a junior at UCLA and a report of "potential issues" in a predraft MRI didn't scare the Angels off Canning, a projected first-round pick who fell to the second round and signed for $1.459 million. Scouting Report: The Angels were comfortable with Canning's medicals, but were still very careful with him. He spent the summer at their Arizona complex working on strength and conditioning and didn't pitch for an affiliate. Canning's four-pitch mix includes a high-spin four-seam fastball between 90-94 mph that he commands and a slider, curveball and changeup that all flash above-average potential. His changeup was his go-to secondary pitch as a sophomore, but he threw more breaking balls as a junior, when he recorded a 2.34 ERA in 119 innings and finished second in the nation with 140 strikeouts. He showed durability under a robust workload in 2017, throwing a 134-pitch shutout against rival Southern California in early May. Canning is a polished and advanced college pitcher who could move quickly through the system, but he needs to show he is healthy. The Future: Canning will make his debut at a Class A affiliate in 2018 and projects as a mid-rotation starter.