While it’s not always in the hands of the player, if there is one guy who did absolutely everything in his power to try and force his way into some playing time at the major league level, it’s been Canaan Smith-Njigba.
Acquired in the Jameson Taillon trade, Smith-Njigba spent the majority of the 2021 season in Double-A with the Altoona Curve, getting a brief look in Triple-A towards the end of the schedule.
After being added to the 40-man before the 2022 season, he began the year in Indianapolis, raking to a tune of .277/.387/.408, with a wRC+ of 118 in 52 games. He was an on-base machine, and despite not showing power in the traditional sense, was driving the ball very hard off the bat.
He made his major league debut later on, playing in three games — and picking up his first career hit — before a wrist injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Coming into spring, it seemed there was a general idea of who might make up the outfield to start the season, with maybe a lone spot up for grabs when it’s all said and done.
Smith-Njigba has been one of the standouts in spring, batting .326/.404/.522 in 46 at-bats entering the last day of exhibition games, picking up five extra-base hits (two home runs), 11 RBI, drawing five walks and swiping a pair of bags.
While regular counting stats don’t always tell the whole story, it’s been his overall pitch recognition, the plate patience, and the way he’s driven the ball when he’s gotten the opportunity.
Even though he’s hit the ball hard, it hasn’t translated into the power numbers you would expect, mainly due to a low launch angle — much like Ke’Bryan Hayes.
We’ve seen Smith-Njigba drive the ball in the air more this spring, which is leading to the more traditional numbers you look for.
Taking a look at Smith-Njigba in the batter’s box, he looks like he should be tackling running backs on Sundays (he did tackle a pitcher in the AFL a few years back, so maybe that counts?). You can really see him use that to his advantage this spring, using his entire body to generate the power behind his swing.
When he’s able to get in position to load up, his swing is quick and compact (with a bit of lift) that can just turn and destroy a baseball.
We’ve seen and heard about the power, but that isn’t the only thing that he’s doing to impress in spring. He’s also showing his ability as a complete hitter and take things the other way when needed.
The first hit was a near perfect example of waiting and taking a breaking ball the other way, finding a hole and scoring a runner. We’ve seen some prospects in the system struggle to keep their hands back, but Smith-Njigba has repeatedly showed that ability this spring.
I mentioned on Twitter the other day in reference to Wil Crowe allowing a home run to Austin Riley, that if you throw three straight fastballs in the same spot, especially to a quality hitter, odds are they are going to make you pay.
The third clip shows the two pitches prior to the hit, and while it didn’t end up a home run, Smith-Njigba did pick up his third hit of the day — all of which going the other way.
Spring may be the time for most players to come in and work on some things in preparation for the season. It’s also where some of the younger kids can really make a name for themselves.
There may not have been a player who truly flashed their potential to make an impact with the bat quite like Smith-Njigba. While the first bit of attention will point to the power, he’s shown a far more well-rounded effort this spring.
