Robinson Canó Biography
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a free agent second baseman who was born in the Dominican Republic on October 22, 1982 (Spanish pronunciation: [ka’no]). He has participated in Major League Baseball (MLB) games with the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres.
Canó, a Dominican Republic native from San Pedro de Macors, joined the Yankees organization in 2001 as an amateur free agent. In addition to winning the 2009 World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, he played with the Yankees from 2005 to 2013. Canó played for the Mariners from 2014 to 2018, when he was moved to the Mets, as part of a 10-year, $240 million contract that he signed with them in December 2013. Canó had the most hits (1,695) of any major league player in the decade of the 2010s. He has won the Silver Slugger Award five times, the Gold Glove Award twice, and the MLB All-Star Game eight times. Canó won the 2011 Home Run Derby as well as being named the MVP of the 2017 All-Star Game.
Canó has twice tested positive for substances that improve performance. Canó received an 80-game MLB suspension in 2018 for taking furosemide in violation of the league’s joint drug policy. As a result of a stanozolol positive test, Canó was additionally suspended for the full 2021 season.
Canó has competed internationally for the Dominican Republic. He received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and a gold medal in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) competition. Canó joined Octavio Dotel and Santiago Casilla as WBC teammates and one of just four athletes to have won both a World Series and a WBC.
Robinson Canó Early life
Before making his Major League debut and throwing six games for the Houston Astros in 1989, José Canó, Cano’s father, signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1980. He pitched in the Yankees’ and Atlanta Braves’ minor league systems. Jackie Robinson, a baseball great, inspired the name Robinson.
Although he spent three years in New Jersey, Canó was born in San Pedro de Macors, Dominican Republic, and raised there. He attended Barringer High School for one year while in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in the Newark School System. Canó attended San Pedro Apostol High School in San Pedro de Macors after his family relocated back to the Dominican Republic, where he participated in the basketball and baseball teams. He represents the Estrellas Orientales, the team from his hometown, in the Dominican Winter Baseball League.
Robinson Canó Professional career
Minor leagues
Canó was signed by the Yankees on January 5, 2001 as an amateur free agent after completing high school, and was given a signing bonus of almost $100,000. That year, he made his minor league debut with the Staten Island Yankees of the Class-A Short Season New York-Penn League and the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. In the Class-A South Atlantic League in 2002, Canó split his time between Staten Island and the Greensboro Bats. In 2003, Canó was a Class-A Advanced Florida State League player for the Tampa Yankees and a Class-AA Eastern League player for the Trenton Thunder. By this time, he was considered a top prospect. In the 2003 All-Star Futures Game, Canó took part.
To complete the Yankees’ acquisition of Alex Rodriguez prior to the 2004 season, the Yankees offered the Texas Rangers five prospects, Canó being one of them. Joaqun Rias was chosen by the Rangers in its place.
Canó started the 2004 campaign with Trenton before being promoted to the Class-AAA International League’s Columbus Clippers. The Yankees shifted Canó to third base in an effort to highlight Canó for the Royals when the Kansas City Royals started looking for trade offers for Carlos Beltrán. The Yankees tried to trade him to the Arizona Diamondbacks the following month as part of a deal to get Randy Johnson. He joined Columbus for the 2005 season’s start.
New York Yankees (2005–2013)
2005
On May 3, 2005, Canó—who had been hitting.330 in 108 at-bats with Columbus—was promoted to the major leagues, replacing Tony Womack at second base. Hideo Nomo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays gave Canó his first base hit of his professional career on May 5. This season, Canó also blasted his first grand slam of his career.
In the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year, he came in second place to Oakland Athletics’ Huston Street. Canó had the third-worst walk percentage in the league at the end of the season, at 3.0%. Manager Joe Torre likened Canó to Hall of Famer Rod Carew in 2005. Torre emphasized that he meant that Canó’s physique, presence at the plate, and smoothness of swing “reminded” him of Carew.
2006: First All-Star season
Canó won the American League (AL) second baseman All-Star vote in 2006 but was unable to compete due to a strained hamstring and was thus placed on the injured list. But on August 8, 2006, when he made a full recovery from his injuries, Canó took the league lead in hitting average, doubles, and runs batted in. Canó accumulated enough at-bats in late September 2006 to re-enter the AL hitting race. The September AL Player of the Month honor went to Canó.
Canó concluded the year 2006 with the ninth-best double total (41) in the American League and the third-best hitting average in the AL (.342, just two points behind teammate shortstop Derek Jeter and five points behind Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer). He also had the highest hitting average in the AL both after the sixth inning (.353; 55/156) and on the road (.364; 96/264). His 3.6% walk rate was third-worst in the league. For AL MVP, Canó garnered three votes.
2007–2008
Canó handed up his number 22 to Roger Clemens in 2007, and instead chose to honor Jackie Robinson by donning the number 24, which is a reversal of his number 42. After hitting just.249 until May 29 of the 2007 season, Canó recovered his form in July, batting.385 with six home runs and 24 RBI, bringing his season average to.300 by the conclusion of the month. He concluded the 2007 season sixth in the league in games played (160), ninth in triples (7), tenth in hits (189), doubles (41) and at bats (617), and thirteenth in the triples category. In both 2006 and 2007, he was the only batter in the AL’s top 10 in doubles.
Canó extended his contract for $28 million over the following four seasons (2008 through 2011) on January 24, 2008. The agreement also includes two $27 million options for the Yankees’ 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Canó had a difficult start to the 2008 campaign, hitting just.151 in April with only 7 RBIs. Later in the year, he became better, hitting.300 from May through August.
On September 20, 2008, Canó singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 1-0 victory over the Orioles to score the final walk-off hit in Yankee Stadium history. The following night (September 21, 2008), in the final game at Yankee Stadium, Canó delivered the final RBI in Stadium history with his sacrifice fly, bringing home Brett Gardner with the game’s final run. Over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Canó only missed five games, and he was one of three Yankees to hit a home run in a pinch.
2009: World Series Championship
Canó had 204 hits, 25 home runs, and 85 RBI in 2009. His average was.320. In terms of hits, extra base hits, total bases, at bats, doubles, batting average, runs scored, and triples, Canó was among the best ten players in the American league. His first season with more than 20 home runs. He and Derek Jeter became the first middle infield duo in MLB history to both have 200 hits in the same season with their 200th hit against the Boston Red Sox to clinch the AL East Division.
His 204 hits during the 2009 season were third-most among all second basemen and first-most overall. Canó had the highest batting average among second basemen. Canó also participated in 161 games, which was a record for a player in the 2009 season. On August 28 against the White Sox, he also blasted his first walk-off home run of his career, a three-run shot. On November 4, Canó struck out Shane Victorino for the 2009 World Series’ last out.
2010: Second All-Star and first Gold Glove season
Hideki Matsui’s departure caused Canó to move up to the fifth slot in the batting order.Canó was honored as the American League Player of the Month for April 2010 for his early-season performance. He was chosen to compete in the 2010 Home Run Derby and was chosen to start at second base for the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, but he withdrew because of a minor injury. He achieved a milestone 200 hits and 100+ RBIs (109), finishing the season.
While Alex Rodriguez was out with an injury, Canó successfully filled in for Matsui and Alex Rodriguez in the middle of the lineup. Canó had improved his batting with runners in scoring position.
Canó had a.343 postseason batting average with four home runs and six RBIs. With just three errors in 158 games, he had the greatest fielding percentage for a second baseman in MLB at.996 at the end of the season. He recorded 341 putouts and turned 114 double plays. 2010 saw Canó become the first Yankee second baseman to win the American League Gold Glove Award since Bobby Richardson did so from 1961 to 1965. Having a batting average of.319, 29 home runs, and 109 runs batted in, Canó also took home the American League Silver Slugger Award for second basemen. He also came in third place in the voting for AL MVP.
2011: Third All-Star and first Silver Slugger season
The opening part of Canó’s defensive season was difficult. He had made twice as many errors by the end of July as he had in his entire Gold Glove-winning 2010 season, which included three errors.
Canó was picked to take part in the 2011 Home Run Derby in addition to being selected as the starting second baseman for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. Canó won the derby with his father on the mound, breaking a record most home runs in the championship game with 12 home runs despite still having four outs to go.
On August 10, Canó faced the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and missed the cycle by one hit. He missed the cycle by one run for the second time in his career; the first time was in 2005. Canó concluded the 2011 campaign in 159 games with a career-high 118 RBIs, 28 home runs, and 188 hits.
Canó hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 1 of the 2011 AL Division Series to give the Yankees an 8-1 advantage. His fourth grand slam of the year, including the regular season, was achieved with this one. He added two run-scoring doubles in between the home run to give him a total of six RBI for the game. In the end, the Detroit Tigers would defeat the New York Yankees in a five-game series.
2012: Fourth All-Star season
Canó only hit one home run in April, but he bounced back to blast seven in May and a career-high 11 in June. He returned to the 2012 Home Run Derby but was unable to match his success from the year before. Instead, he had zero home runs, came in last, and was jeered by Kansas City spectators for not selecting Billy Butler of the Royals, despite having said earlier that he would pick a Royal. He was the first player since Brandon Inge in 2009 to fail to hit a home run in the Derby. He was the ninth player to do it.
In a 3-2 loss for the New York Yankees on July 20, 2012, Canó singled off Oakland Athletics pitcher Tommy Milone to extend his career-high hitting streak to 23 games. He also went on an incredible tear in the final 10 games of the season, hitting 24-for-39 (.615) with three home runs, seven doubles, and 14 RBI. Canó had a.313 batting average, 48 doubles, 33 home runs, and 94 RBI at the end of the 2012 campaign.
Canó had a dismal postseason performance. He batted.083 (3-for-36) through the first eight games of the 2012 AL Division Series and AL Championship Series, which included a period from October 9 to 16 when he went without a hit after 29 at-bats, the longest hitless drought in any single postseason game in MLB history. When the Tigers swept the Yankees in Game 4, Canó once more went 0-for-4, dropping his postseason average for 2012 to.075 (3-for-40).
Canó’s club option for 2013 was exercised by the Yankees on October 29 for $15 million, delaying his entry into the free agent market for another year.
2013: Fifth All-Star season
Canó made his first professional appearance at shortstop on April 13, 2013. With 21 home runs and 65 RBI at the start of the first half of the 2013 campaign, he had a.302 batting average. He was chosen as the 2013 Home Run Derby’s American League captain. He was struck by a pitch from Matt Harvey during his lone at-bat in the 2013 All-Star Game and sustained a right quad contusion. Dustin Pedroia came in to play in Cano’s place. He participated in just two pitches.
At Yankee Stadium on August 20, Canó hit his 200th home run of his career, a three-run shot to center field off of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Esmil Rogers. Canó batted in the 2013 season.In 160 games played, 314 has 190 hits, 27 home runs, and 107 RBI.
Seattle Mariners (2014–2018)
Canó and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a $240 million, 10-year contract in December 2013. Canó turned down a seven-year, $175 million contract from the Yankees in favor of a longer-term offer.
2014: Sixth All-Star season
On March 31, Canó made his Mariners debut, going 2-for-4 with a double. On April 2, Canó contributed his first RBI for the Mariners. Canó was selected as the American League’s starting second baseman for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game on July 6. Canó was chosen for his fifth straight All Star game, giving him a total of six in his career. With 14 home runs and 82 RBI, Canó had a.314 batting average at the end of the season. He started experiencing digestive issues in August, which doctors later determined were the result of an intestinal parasite.
After the season, Canó went to Japan to play in the 2014 Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series with a team of MLB All-Stars competing against Nippon Professional Baseball All-Stars. During the series, he fractured a toe, which required 3–4 weeks to heal.
2015
Canó experienced acid reflux during the 2015 season as a result of the parasite treatment. He had been an All-Star for five years running before he was not selected for the 2015 All-Star Game roster. In 156 games in 2015, he hit.287 with 21 home runs, 34 doubles, and 79 RBIs. However, he improved in the second half of the season, batting.330. With 26 double plays grounded into, he was tied for second in the AL. Cano had surgery to treat a sports hernia after the 2015 season.
2016: Seventh All-Star season
Canó joined Jeff Kent and Joe Gordon as the only second basemen to reach 250 career home runs during the first 12 years of their careers on May 7, 2016, when he hit his 250th home run of his career. He was chosen to play in his sixth All-Star Game, which was held in San Diego at Petco Park. When he hit 30 home runs against the Chicago White Sox on August 28, Canó accomplished this feat for the second time in his career. Canó had a.298 batting average, 195 hits, 33 doubles, 39 home runs, and 103 RBI in 161 games.
2017: Eighth All-Star season
Canó was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Mariners on May 16, 2017, retroactive to May 13, owing to a right quadriceps strain. Canó was placed on the disabled list for just the second time in his career. In the top of the tenth inning of the All-Star Game at Marlins Park, Canó hit a home run off Wade Davis to give the American League a 2-1 victory, earning him MVP honors for the event. For the first time in his career, Canó was dismissed on September 13 after a disagreement with Vic Carapazza on a strike call.
On September 21 against Keone Kela of the Texas Rangers, Canó hit his 300th career home run, becoming just the third second baseman in history to do so, behind Rogers Hornsby (301) and Jeff Kent (377). He became the 16th major leaguer to at least bat after hitting a home run.300 has 2,000 hits while also scoring 1,000 runs, driving in 1,000 runs, and hitting 500 doubles.
2018: Suspension-shortened season
On April 18, 2018, in a 4-1 defeat to the Houston Astros, Canó homered off Lance McCullers Jr. to give him 302 for his career and pass Hornsby for second place all-time among second basemen. As a member of the Mariners, Canó hit his 100th home run on April 29 against Josh Tomlin in a 10-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Canó left the game on May 13 against the Tigers after being struck by a pitch on the right hand. It was determined that the fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand was fractured.
On May 15, two days after the onset of his injury, Canó was given an 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs by testing positive for furosemide, a diuretic best known by the brand name Lasix. On August 14, Canó rejoined the Mariners after serving his sentence.
He batted for the entire campaign.303/.374/.471
New York Mets (2019–2022)
As part of their massive reconstruction, the Mariners dealt Canó, Edwin Dáz, and $20 million to the New York Mets on December 3, 2018, in exchange for Jay Bruce, Jarred Kelenic, Anthony Swarzak, Gerson Bautista, and Justin Dunn.
Canó blasted a home run off Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals in his first at-bat as a Met. The Mets’ trade for Canó, however, was dubbed “a massive misstep” by Connor Byrne writing for MLB Trade Rumors and “an unmitigated disaster” by Mike Mazzeo of Yahoo Sports following a first half of the season that included two stints on the injured list, a career-high strikeout rate, and a “F” grade from Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Canó drove in all five of the team’s runs on July 23, 2019, when he hit his first three home runs of the season in a game at Citi Field against the San Diego Padres. Canó made a significant improvement in the second half, posting an OPS of.880 as opposed to.646 in the first.
With 13 home runs and a career-low 39 RBIs in 2019, Canó batted.256 (the lowest of his career),.307, and.428. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he bounced back. His batting average, slugging percentage, and wRC+ all ranked second on the team, and his slash line of.316/.352/.544 was fourth. In terms of OPS+ and wRC+, it turned out to be his finest offensive season since leaving the Yankees. He participated in the 2021 Caribbean Series after the 2020 season for the Dominican Republic.
Canó was declared ineligible for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for Stanozolol on November 18, 2020, resulting in a 162-game suspension and a breach of MLB’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. This was his second PED test result that was positive. In 2022, Canó joined the Mets once more. Canó was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 2 after he hit.195 with one home run in 41 at-bats. He had very occasionally been given the chance to play, and when he did, it was usually as a substitute. Canó became a free agent on May 8 after being released by the Mets.
San Diego Padres (2022)
Canó and the San Diego Padres agreed to a major league contract on May 13, 2022. Canó was released by the Padres on June 2 after hitting.094 in 12 games for them with 10 strikeouts in 34 at-bats.
On June 10, Canó renewed his minor league contract with the Padres and was assigned to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas of the Pacific Coast League.
Atlanta Braves (2022)
The Padres dealt Canó to the Atlanta Braves on July 10, 2022 in exchange for money. The following day, he faced the New York Mets in his Braves debut. On August 1, after acquiring Ehire Adrianza, the Braves designated Canó for assignment. Canó hit 4-for-26 (.154) in nine games for the Braves. On August 4, he was let go, making him a free agent.
He batted for the three teams in a total of 33 games and 100 at bats in 2022.The slowest second baseman in major league baseball, with a sprint speed of 24.3 feet per second, had a 150/.183/.190 slash line, 4 walks, and 25 strikeouts.
Robinson Canó International career
For his native Dominican Republic, Canó has competed in three World Baseball Classic (WBC) events, which were held in 2009, 2013, and 2017.
Canó batted 15 for 32 (.469) in the 2013 edition. To win the title and become the first unbeaten team in tournament history, the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 in the finals. Canó received the Classic’s Most Valuable Player award. After Daisuke Matsuzaka accomplished the feat, he joined fellow Dominican Republic teammates Octavio Dotel and Santiago Casilla as one of only four players to have ever won the World Series and World Baseball Classic. After Koji Uehara won in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox, he later became the fifth player to join the group of four. Eleven additional athletes have since accomplished the feat, including Cano’s 2009 World Series co-winner David Robertson.
Canó was appointed the Dominican Republic team’s captain in 2017. The Dominican Republic finished the first round 3-0 before losing its opening match to Puerto Rico, snapping an 11-game winning streak that began with the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Canó completed 6-for-20 (.300), with a home run and three RBIs, but the club was unable to advance to the championship round.
Robinson Canó Personal life
Robinson, another child of Canó, resides in the Dominican Republic with his mother.
Canó naturalized as a citizen of the United States on November 13, 2012.
Canó has a reputation for doing good deeds. A pediatric rehabilitation ward at the Hackensack University Medical Center (in New Jersey) is dedicated in his honor. Canó established a Montessori school in San Pedro de Macoris, where he was raised, in 2015.
Where was Robinson Cano born?
Jackie Robinson, a baseball great, inspired the name Robinson. Although he spent three years in New Jersey, Canó was born in San Pedro de Macors, Dominican Republic, and raised there. He attended Barringer High School for one year while in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in the Newark School System.
How many Gold Gloves does Robinson Cano have?
Having finished his 17-year MLB career with more than 2,600 hits, five Silver Slugger Awards, and two Gold Gloves, Cano is one of the game’s most productive second basemen ever. He has a lifetime batting average of.300 and is one of just 22 players in MLB history to smash more than 330 home homers.
What is Robinson Cano doing now?
In June 2022, he signed a one-year deal with the Padres. traded in July 2022 to the Braves. In August 2022, the Braves released the player. Cano is on the World Baseball Classic roster for Team Dominican Republic.
What are some interesting facts about Robinson Cano?
2010 saw Canó become the first Yankee second baseman to win the American League Gold Glove Award since Bobby Richardson did so from 1961 to 1965. With a batting average of.319, 29 home runs, and 109 runs batted in, Canó also took home the American League Silver Slugger Award for second basemen.
Will Robinson Cano make the Hall of Fame?
Players who have been suspended several times may find it difficult to navigate the veterans committee process. Simply put, Cano likely already faced a difficult path to the Hall of Fame because of his prior suspension. With reference to Cooperstown, this second one has decided his fate. He won’t end up in the Hall of Fame.
