NY Mets fans will embrace the Griffin Canning experience that tormented the Angels

Griffin Canning tormented Angels fans for years. The former top prospect showed flashes early on, but could never stay healthy and reach his potential while in Anaheim. Once he finally stayed on the mound for a full season last year, the Angels quickly realized they hadn't been missing much.

Canning led the American League in earned runs allowed in 2024, posting a dismal 5.19 ERA in 171.2 innings. He got very good at turning and watching the ball fly over the outfield wall, allowing an eye-popping 1.63 HR/9. He also saw his strikeout rate plummet from 9.85 K/9 in 2023 to a lowly 6.82 K/9 last season.

Despite having one more year of team control, the Angels wisely opted to deal Canning to the Atlanta Braves for Jorge Soler in what may have been Perry Minasian's best move (at least from a value perspective) this offseason.

Atlanta quickly DFA'd Canning. He wasn't a part of their plan and they simply wanted to get off of Soler's contract. At that point, Canning was somewhat surprisingly gobbled up by the New York Mets on a one-year $4.25 million contract.

Canning was supposed to be a depth starter for the Mets, a team with World Series aspirations after signing Juan Soto to the largest contract in history, who remade their entire rotation this offseason. Canning wasn't really in their plans once Opening Day rolls around, but that may have changed now.

The Mets will quickly find out what it feels like to hand Griffin Canning the ball every fifth day

Just as spring training began, the Mets suffered two big blows to their starting rotation. First, newly acquired starter Frankie Montas went down with a lat strain that will keep him out the first couple of months of the year. Their ace, Sean Manaea, went down with an oblique strain shortly thereafter.

Though Manaea should be back relatively quickly, the Mets have other question marks in their rotation that could pose a situation where Canning becomes a mainstay. Another one of their new starters is former Yankees reliever Clay Holmes, who they are attempting to transition to the rotation...something he hasn't done since making four starts in 2018.

On top of that, their other top-of-the-rotation arm, Kodai Senga, missed all but five innings of the regular season last year and prefers to pitch on the six-day schedule.

Even when Manaea and Montas return, all of that adds up to a situation where the Mets will get plenty of looks at Griffin Canning. Angels fans should send their condolences, as Mets fans are about to learn the hard way about the heartbreak that is counting on Canning to be a reliable member of a starting rotation.

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