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Aside from about 75 games spanning 2016 and 2017, Mark Canha has been a very productive major league hitter and a slam dunk rule-5 draft pickup. In 2019, however, Canha has finally broken out to become not just one of Oakland’s most productive players but one of baseball’s best hitters.
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Among major leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances Canha’s 141 wRC+ is 19th best. His wRC+ mark exceeds that of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Anthony RIzzo, JD Martinez, and anyone on Oakland’s roster. He has now set career-highs in home runs and just about every offensive category. And with Ramon Laureano’s extended absence he has picked up many starts in centerfield. Canha would be the leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, if such a thing existed.
What is different about Canha this year compared to previous seasons? Plate discipline and pulled balls.
Swinging Less, Walking More
There are some very noticeable and positive changes in Canha’s plate discipline profile. First and foremost, his 13.6% walk rate is a career-high. However, walking more doesn’t necessarily mean he’s become a more disciplined hitter. That could mean a player is simply being passive. With Canha that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Canha’s Plate Discipline Profile
| Season | O-Swing% | Z-Swing% | Swing% | O-Contact% | Z-Contact% | Contact% | Zone% | F-Strike% | SwStr% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | O-Swing% | Z-Swing% | Swing% | O-Contact% | Z-Contact% | Contact% | Zone% | F-Strike% | SwStr% |
| 2015 | 32.9 % | 62.9 % | 47.2 % | 67.3 % | 85.8 % | 79.1 % | 47.7 % | 62.9 % | 9.8 % |
| 2018 | 31.1 % | 61.0 % | 44.0 % | 73.4 % | 87.0 % | 81.5 % | 43.0 % | 61.6 % | 8.1 % |
| 2019 | 24.8 % | 59.7 % | 39.7 % | 73.6 % | 81.8 % | 78.8 % | 42.7 % | 60.6 % | 8.4 % |
In the chart above I purposefully omitted Canha’s “lost” 2016 and 2017 seasons and just went with the seasons in which he’s played often and was productive. You might notice that in the first three columns Canha’s numbers all trend downward. Canha is swinging less overall, with the biggest change coming on pitches outside of the zone. Nothing else in his plate discipline profile really stands out. He has merely become a more selective hitter by not reaching out of the zone, and this has led to an increase in walk rate and ultimately a big boost in on-base percentage.
Pull-Heavy Approach
The second thing that stood out to me at first glance was Canha’s batted-ball distribution. In past seasons the direction on Canha’s batted-balls were primarily left field and center field. In 2019, though, Canha has heavily favored left field and is pulling the ball at a career-high 54.3%. Compare 2018 to 2019:
2018
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2019
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This is a good thing because Canha’s pulled balls have a greater average exit velocity, and therefore are more well-hit, than balls hit straightaway or to the opposite field. This is even more true for balls hit in the air.
Canha’s Batted Ball Distribution/Exit Velocity
| Year | All Batted-Balls | Pulled Balls | Middle/Opposite Field | Pulled FB/LD | Middle/Opposite Field FB/LD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Batted-Balls | Pulled Balls | Middle/Opposite Field | Pulled FB/LD | Middle/Opposite Field FB/LD |
| 2018 | 87 MPH | 90.6 MPH | 84.6 MPH | 95.2 MPH | 91 MPH |
| 2019 | 88.6 PMH | 89.8 MPH | 87.1 MPH | 95.8 MPH | 92.5 MPH |
Conclusion
These changes are small, and perhaps deliberate ones that have seemingly fueled Canha’s breakout. With Khris Davis locked in a devastating slump and Laureano’s absence Canha’s red-hot bat has been much needed. It’s important when good players become much better, and even more so when the circumstances require individuals to step up. Canha has met that call.
