Robinson Canó
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League; he also captains the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves.
A native of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, Canó signed with the Yankees organization as an amateur free agent in 2001. He played for the Yankees from 2005 to 2013, also winning the 2009 World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies. In December 2013, Canó signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Mariners and he played for them from 2014 to 2018, when he was traded to the Mets. Canó recorded 1,695 hits in the 2010s, the most of any major league player during that decade. He is an eight-time MLB All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. Canó is also the 2017 All-Star Game MVP and the 2011 Home Run Derby winner.
Canó has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs twice. In 2018, Canó was suspended from MLB for 80 games for violating the league's joint drug agreement by using furosemide. Canó was also suspended for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for stanozolol.
Canó has represented the Dominican Republic in international play. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic tournament, he won both a gold medal and a Most Valuable Player Award. Along with WBC teammates Octavio Dotel and Santiago Casilla, Canó became one of four players to have won both a World Series and a WBC.
Early life
Cano's father, José Canó, signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1980 and pitched in the Yankees' and Atlanta Braves minor league systems before making his Major League debut and pitching six games for the Houston Astros in 1989. Robinson was named after baseball legend Jackie Robinson.Canó was born on October 22, 1982 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, and grew up in the Dominican Republic, though he lived in New Jersey for three years. He spent seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in the Newark School System, attending Barringer High School for one year. When his family moved back to the Dominican Republic, Canó attended San Pedro Apostol High School in San Pedro de Macorís, where he played for the school's baseball and basketball teams. In the Dominican Winter Baseball League he plays for his hometown team, the Estrellas Orientales.
Professional career
Minor leagues
After graduating from high school, Canó was signed by the Yankees on January 5, 2001, as an amateur free agent, receiving a signing bonus of over $100,000. He began playing in their minor league system that season, debuting with the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and the Staten Island Yankees of the Low–A New York–Penn League. Canó played for Staten Island and the Greensboro Bats of the Single–A South Atlantic League in 2002. Canó played for the Tampa Yankees of the High–A Florida State League and Trenton Thunder of the Double–A Eastern League in 2003, by which point he was viewed as a top prospect. Canó appeared in the 2003 All-Star Futures Game.Canó was one of the five prospects offered to the Texas Rangers to complete the Yankees' acquisition of Alex Rodriguez before the 2004 season. The Rangers selected Joaquín Árias instead.
Canó began the 2004 season with Trenton, receiving a promotion to the Columbus Clippers of the Triple–A International League. When the Kansas City Royals began to seek trade offers for Carlos Beltrán, the Yankees moved Canó to third base in an effort to showcase Canó for the Royals. The next month, the Yankees attempted to trade him to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a package to acquire Randy Johnson. He began the 2005 season with Columbus.
New York Yankees (2005–2013)
2005
Canó was called up to the major leagues on May 3, 2005, while hitting.330 in 108 at bats with Columbus, and took over second base from Tony Womack. On May 5, Canó got his first career base hit off of Hideo Nomo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Canó belted his first career grand slam this season as well. He finished second in American League Rookie of the Year balloting to Huston Street of the Oakland Athletics. Canó finished the year, however, with the third-worst walk percentage in the league, 3.0%. During 2005, manager Joe Torre compared Canó to Hall of Famer Rod Carew. Torre clarified that he meant that Canó "reminded" him of Carew, in terms of his build, presence at the plate, and smoothness in his swing.2006: First All-Star season
In 2006, Canó led the American League All-Star balloting at second base, but could not play after being placed on the disabled list for a strained hamstring. After his return from injury, however, on August 8, 2006, Canó led the league in batting average, doubles, and runs batted in. During late September 2006, Canó accumulated enough at-bats to once again qualify for the AL batting race. Canó was rewarded the AL Player of the Month award for September.Canó finished 2006 with the third best batting average in the AL, and ninth in the league in doubles. He also led the AL in batting average on the road and after the sixth inning. He had the third-worst walk percentage in the league at 3.6%. Canó received three votes for AL MVP.
2007–2008
In 2007, Canó gave up his number 22 to Roger Clemens, choosing to wear the number 24, a reversal of Jackie Robinson's number 42, in tribute to him. After a slow start to the 2007 season which saw him hit a meager.249 through May 29, Canó found his stroke batting.385 in the month of July with six home runs and 24 RBI to raise his season average to.300 by the end of the month. He finished 2007 sixth in the league in games played, ninth in triples, and tenth in hits, doubles, and at bats. He was the only batter in the top 10 in doubles in the AL in both 2006 and 2007.On January 24, 2008, Canó signed a contract extension for $28 million over the next four years in the 2008 through 2011 seasons. The deal also included options for the Yankees for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, worth $27 million.
Canó struggled early in the 2008 season, hitting only.151 by the end of in April, with just 7 RBIs. He improved later in the year, hitting.300 from May through August.
Canó recorded the final walk-off hit in Yankee Stadium history by singling in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning in the Yankees 1–0 victory over the Orioles on September 20, 2008. In the final game at Yankee Stadium the next night, Canó recorded the final RBI in Stadium history with his sacrifice fly in the 7th inning, scoring Brett Gardner with the Stadium's final run. Canó missed only five games over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, and was one of only three Yankees to hit a home run as a pinch hitter.
2009: World Series Championship
In 2009, Canó hit.320 with 204 hits, 25 home runs and 85 RBI. Canó ranked in the top ten among players in the American league in hits, extra base hits, total bases, at bats, doubles, batting average, runs scored, and triples. It was his first year hitting over 20 home runs. His 200th hit against the Boston Red Sox to clinch the AL East Division made him and Derek Jeter the first middle infield duo in MLB history to both have 200 hits in the same season.His 204 hits ranked third for hits during the 2009 season, and first among all second basemen. Canó also led second basemen in batting average. Canó also played in 161 games which was the most games played by a player during the 2009 season. He also hit his first career walk-off home run: a 3-run walk-off home run on August 28 against the White Sox. On November 4, Canó threw out Shane Victorino for the final out of the 2009 World Series.
2010: Second All-Star and first Gold Glove season
With the departure of Hideki Matsui, Canó was moved into the fifth spot in the batting order. For his early season performance, Canó was named the AL Player of the Month for April 2010. He was elected as the starting second baseman in the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and was selected to participate in the 2010 Home Run Derby; however, he withdrew due to a minor injury. He finished the season with a milestone 200 hits and 100+ RBIs.Canó performed ably in the middle of the lineup, replacing Matsui and Alex Rodriguez while Rodriguez was on the disabled list, as he had improved his batting with runners in scoring position.
Canó hit.343 with four home runs and 6 RBIs in the 2010 postseason. He finished the season with a.996 fielding percentage, the best for a second baseman in MLB, committing only three errors in 158 games. He turned 114 double plays and recorded 341 putouts. Canó won the American League Gold Glove Award for second basemen in 2010, the first by a Yankee second baseman since Bobby Richardson's five-year run from 1961 to 1965. Canó also won the American League Silver Slugger Award for second basemen with a batting average of.319, 29 home runs and 109 runs batted in. In addition, he finished third in the voting for AL MVP.
2011: Third All-Star
Canó had a rough first half to his defensive season. By June 18, he had committed six errors, twice as many as he had the previous season, when he won a Gold Glove.Canó was selected for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game as a starting second baseman, and was chosen to participate in the 2011 Home Run Derby. With his father pitching, Canó won the derby, setting a record for home runs in the final round with 12 home runs despite having an additional four outs remaining.
Facing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 10, Canó fell a single short of hitting for the cycle. It marked the second time in his career that he missed the cycle by a single. Canó finished the 2011 season with 188 hits, 28 home runs, and a career-high 118 RBIs in 159 games.
In Game 1 of the 2011 AL Division Series, Canó hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Yankees an 8–1 lead. It marked his fourth grand slam of the year, including the regular season. He sandwiched the home run between two run-scoring doubles, giving him 6 total RBI for the game. The Yankees would eventually lose the series in five games to the Detroit Tigers.