When the New York Mets inked right-handed starter Griffin Canning to a modest one-year, $4.25 million deal this past offseason, expectations were tempered. After all, this was a pitcher coming off a rough 2024 campaign, one who had struggled to maintain consistency and health since entering the league.
But through the early part of 2025, Canning has been one of the biggest surprises on the Mets’ roster — and one of the best values in baseball.
A Quiet Success Story in the Rotation
Canning entered Tuesday’s matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies sporting a solid 3.43 ERA over 21 innings. Then, he delivered again — tossing five innings of one-run ball and striking out five, helping lower that ERA to an even sharper 3.12.
He’s doing more than just eating innings. Canning’s strikeouts per nine are up to 9.00, and he’s stranding runners at a 79.4% clip. Even more impressive is his ground ball rate — currently sitting at 53.6%, which ranks in the 85th percentile league-wide. That’s the kind of profile that quietly keeps games under control and limits explosive innings.
Pitch Mix Tweaks Paying Off
One of the biggest changes in Canning’s 2025 resurgence? His pitch usage.
The Mets’ coaching staff leaned into a more slider-heavy approach, bumping up usage by 12% compared to last year. The shift has paid off. By relying more on his slider and slightly dialing back his four-seamer and changeup, Canning has found a rhythm that works.
He’s also nearly scrapped his knuckle curve — a pitch that wasn’t providing much value — and has focused on playing his two most effective pitches off each other: the slider and the fastball. It’s not rocket science, but sometimes the simplest adjustments unlock the biggest gains.
Holding It Down in a Patchwork Rotation
Let’s not forget, the Mets went into the season with more questions than answers in their rotation. They weren’t supposed to be leaning on Griffin Canning for key innings, but here we are.
And so far, he’s answered the call, bringing stability, efficiency, and a surprisingly high ceiling. For a team that was banking on upside and hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a few arms, Canning has been a bolt of good fortune.