Griffin Canning Pitches With Power And Precision

BEST PLAYER

Jo Adell’s meteoric rise through the system was slowed by a jammed right thumb, an injury that sidelined the 19-year-old outfielder for a week in early August and contributed to a sluggish start at Double-A Mobile.

But that he reached Double-A at all one year after being drafted 10th overall out of high school indicated his immense promise. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Adell hit .290/.355/.543 with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases through 99 games in a season he began at low Class A Burlington.

Adell is a dynamic athlete with high-end power, excellent speed and a strong throwing arm.

BEST PITCHER

The numbers suggest that righthander Griffin Canning, the former UCLA standout who was a 2017 second-round pick, hit a wall after a June 21 promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake. He went 1-3, 6.06 in his first 11 Pacific Coast League starts, but those numbers are deceiving.

After giving up 14 earned runs in 11.2 innings of his first three games (10.80 ERA), Canning allowed 22 in his next 47.1 innings (10 starts) for a 4.18 ERA.

Canning began this season, his first as a pro after not pitching last year, at high Class A Inland Empire. He has a nice blend of power and precision, mixing a fastball that averages 94-95 mph with three above-average secondary pitches, which are a slider, curveball and changeup.

“Going forward, it’s about understanding his game plan and learning how to attack the best hitters in the game,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “He’s making final refinements. He will be an impact starter sooner rather than later.”

KEEP AN EYE ON

Jeremiah Jackson, a second-round pick in 2018, was overshadowed by first-rounder Jordyn Adams, but he brings some of the same tools to shortstop—speed, power, plus bat speed, smooth defense and a strong, accurate arm—that Adams brings to the outfield.

Jackson hit .317/.374/.598 with five homers and six steals in 21 games in the Rookie-level Arizona League before moving to Rookie-level Orem. He flashed serious potential in an Aug. 9 Pioneer League game against Missoula, when he hit a home run and tripled twice.

The wiry-strong, 6-foot, 165-pound Jackson, who runs a 6.87-second 60-yard dash, can hit to all fields and has good defensive instincts. Some project him as second baseman, “but we made the pick with the intention of developing him at shortstop,” scouting director Matt Swanson said, “and he’s given us no indication that he shouldn’t stay there.”