NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 David Stearns thefts from a rival going brilliantly

3) Griffin Canning

A Mets rival only on paper, let’s hope no one sweated too badly putting together a jersey, locker nameplate, or welcome basket for the time Griffin Canning spent with the Atlanta Braves. Traded by the Los Angeles Angels to Atlanta for Jorge Soler immediately after the World Series, the Braves non-tendered Canning almost as fast as the Angels dumped him. Picked up off the scrap heap of underwhelming lifetime achievers, Canning has been impressive through 4 starts.

At 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA, Canning isn’t an early Cy Young candidate. He’s not even a guy many will take notice of as having a strong start. It’s easy to overlook a 3.43 ERA when guys like Kodai Senga are in the 1.00’s.

What Canning has shown is sustainability and a way of limiting damage when batters are hitting him hard. His 52.6% hard-hit rate is among one of the worst in the league. However, his identical 52.6% ground ball rate is right as one of the best. Canning has never finished a season higher than 42.4% in this regard. He’s keeping the ball on the ground well and it’s resulting in just a .359 slugging percentage against him to start the year.

Expectations for Canning were low heading to the point where puzzlement as to why the Mets even signed him was the immediate reaction. It’s early but it feels really good to have him taking the mound every few days.