3 NY Mets Opening Day starters since 2020 you might have already forgotten about

3) Mark Canha

Mark Canha spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the Oakland Athletics. His last three seasons, in particular, were especially productive, as he batted .249/.377/.438 with a .355 wOBA and 129 wRC+ in 1365 plate appearances. He averaged around +3.7 fWAR per 600 plate appearances, which helped him land a two-year contract with the NY Mets in the 2021-2022 offseason.

Opening Day 2022 would end up being just one of 11 games Canha would play the position for the Mets. Canha would have a strong first impression, going 2-3 with a walk. It wouldn’t be until late May that season Canha would play another game in center field. He played his last game in center field in late September 2022 but hasn’t been asked to field the position since. He’s seen time in the field in both outfield corners, first base, and a few games at the hot corner, but none in center field since 2022.

2022 would not be Canha’s only Opening Day start. He would also get the nod in 2023, this time in 2023, this time in left field. His second Opening Day saw Canha go 0-3 with a walk. Throughout his stint with the Mets, Canha owned a .259/.359/.395 triple-slash. He’d continue to draw walks at a healthy 9.5% rate while also only striking out 17.6% of the time. However, he would hit just 19 home runs in 845 plate appearances. All told, Canha finished out his time in New York with a quality .335 wOBA and 118 wRC+.

The Mets eventually traded Canha to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis. After the season, Canha would sign with the Detroit Tigers before getting traded at the deadline once again, this time to the San Francisco Giants. Canha is now back in camp with the Brewers.