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Why Dominic Canzone's immediate impact on Mariners is the real deal

The Mariners recently made a change in the outfield, and it has paid off.
ByLevi Coovert|
Seattle Mariners v Chicago Cubs
Seattle Mariners v Chicago Cubs | John E. Moore III/GettyImages

The Leody Taveras era in Seattle is finally over after four agonizing weeks. To replace him, the Mariners called up Dominic Canzone. Canzone, in his third season with the Mariners, will now have an opportunity to man right field until Luke Raley returns from injury.

So far, Canzone is making the Mariners look smart for rewarding his production in Triple-A with a call-up. While it has only been five games since his return, Canzone is slashing .313/.389/.563, with a .951 OPS. He has scored twice, driven in four runs, smacked a game-tying home run against the Diamondbacks, drawn a pair of walks and even stolen a base. Canzone has looked like a complete ballplayer since returning to Seattle.

Dominic Canzone has carried his minor league momentum over into his latest stint with the Mariners

It's come on the heels of an impressive 45-game stretch in Triple-A Tacoma. There, Canzone hit .296 and slugged .564. He crushed 13 home runs and nine doubles, while drawing 18 walks. He established himself as a power threat capable of drawing walks and staying disciplined at the plate.

Again, it is a very small sample, but there are a few metrics on Statcast pointing towards a career breakout for Canzone. He sports a 46.2 hard-hit percentage, an average exit velocity of 93.8 miles per hour, and a bat speed of 74.9 miles per hour. All three are career bests.

Canzone's home run on June 9th off of Arizona reliever Jeff Brigham was the hardest hit ball of his career, at 115.9 miles per hour. His previous career high came in 2023, clocking in at 111.6.

Yes, it's early, but the early metrics indicate that something is clicking for Canzone. He might not be a superstar, but he should be able to provide more value than Taveras, whose -0.6 bWAR brought negative value to the team. Canzone has already accumulated 0.2 bWAR in less than a week.

Until Raley's return, the Mariners should be able to count on Canzone for solid production in right field. If he does hit well enough to stay on the roster, perhaps Raley could move to first base, and the M's could finally release the struggling Donovan Solano.