Mark David Canha (; born February 15, 1989) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

and

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

, and

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2015.

Career

Amateur career

Canha attended

Bellarmine College Preparatory Bellarmine College Preparatory is an all-boys, Jesuit, private secondary school located in San Jose, California. Founded on May 8, 1851, it is the oldest Jesuit secondary school in California and the second-oldest west of the Mississippi River. ...

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

. In 2007, his senior year, he batted .440 with 11

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s. After graduating from high school, he attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

California Golden Bears The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...

. In 2009, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. In 2010, his junior season, he hit .319 with 10 home runs and 69

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBI) in 54 games.

Florida / Miami Marlins

The

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

selected Canha in the seventh round, with the 227th overall selection, of the

2010 Major League Baseball draft The 2010 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first. ;Key ...

. He split his first professional season between the rookie-level

Gulf Coast League Marlins The Florida Complex League Marlins are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Miami Marlins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Marlins. The team plays i ...

and Low-A

Jamestown Jammers The Jamestown Jammers were a minor league baseball team based in Jamestown, New York from 1994 until 2014. The team was the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and played in the New York–Penn League. The team play ...

, hitting .243 with four home runs and 10 RBI across 20 games. Canha spent the 2011 season with the Single-A

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National B ...

, playing in 107 games and batting .276/.374/.529 with 25 home runs, 85 RBI, and seven stolen bases. Mark Canha

Canha made 114 appearances for the High-A

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...

in 2012, slashing .293/.382/.411 with six home runs and 68 RBI. He spent the 2013 campaign with the Double-A

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

, playing in 128 games and batting .273/.371/.449 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI. In 2014, Canha played for the

New Orleans Zephyrs New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

of the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

(PCL). In 127 appearances, he slashed .303/.384/.505 with 20 home runs and 82 RBI.

Oakland Athletics

On December 11, 2014, the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

chose Canha in the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

from the Marlins, and then traded him to the

for pitcher Austin House. During

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2015, Canha led the Athletics in

s but also led all major league players in

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s. Due to the team's need for a

power hitter Power hitter is a term used in baseball for a skilled player that has a higher than average ability in terms of his Batting (baseball), batting, featuring a combination of dexterity and personal strength that likely leads to a high number of hom ...

following the offseason trades of

Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. In his 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves ...

and

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athlet ...

, Canha made the Athletics'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. In his major league debut, on April 8, Canha had three

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

and four RBI. He remained with the Athletics throughout the 2015 season and led all

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

s in RBIs. He finished the season with 16 home runs and 70 RBIs, playing primarily at first base and left field. Canha underwent season-ending hip surgery after only 16 games with Oakland in 2016. Returning in 2017, he played six games with the A's before being optioned to the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

of the PCL on April 15. On November 8, 2017, Canha underwent right wrist surgery to remove a cyst. In 2018, Canha hit a career-high 17 home runs with 52 RBIs and a .249/.328/.449 batting line. In 2019, he set career highs in average (.273), home runs (26), runs (80) and walks (67) in 126 games. In 2020, Canha slashed .246/.387/.408 with 5 home runs and 33 RBIs in 191 at-bats for the club. On May 2, 2021, Canha was hit by a pitch for the 60th time in his career, most all-time in the Oakland history of the Athletics franchise. In 2021, he tied for the major league lead in hit by pitches, with 27. After the season, Canha became a free agent after the Athletics did not make an $18.4 million qualifying offer.

New York Mets

On November 30, 2021, Canha signed a two-year, $26.5 million contract with the

including an option for a third year. Canha said he signed with the Mets because he "was ready for the big stage and New York's a big stage" and he wanted "to show the world what ecan do." On April 15, 2022, Canha was placed on the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

injured list. He returned five days later on April 20. On August 30, Canha hit the 100th home run of his career off of

Andrew Heaney Andrew Mark Heaney (born June 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Los Angele ...

of the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. On September 10, he hit his first career grand slam off of

Andrew Nardi Andrew Christopher Nardi (born August 18, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Amateur career Nardi attended Royal High School in Simi Valley, ...

of the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

. In 2022, Canha led the majors in hit by pitch (28), and batted .266/.367/.403 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI in 140 games. Across 89 games for the Mets in 2023, he batted .245/.343/.381 with 6 home runs and 29 RBI.

Milwaukee Brewers

On July 31, 2023, the Mets traded Canha to the

for pitcher Justin Jarvis. In 50 games for the Brewers, Canha slashed .287/.373/.427 with five home runs, 33 RBI, and four stolen bases.

Detroit Tigers

On November 4, 2023, the Brewers traded Canha to the

for pitcher Blake Holub. Across 93 games for Detroit, Canha batted .231/.337/.350 with 7 home runs, 38 RBI, and 4 stolen bases.

San Francisco Giants

On July 30, 2024, the Tigers traded Canha to the

for pitcher Eric Silva. Across 32 games for the Giants, Canha batted .288/.376/.329 with no home runs and 4 RBI. He became a free agent after the season.

Kansas City Royals

On February 22, 2025, Canha signed a minor league contract with the

. On March 21, the Brewers traded Canha to the

for pitcher Cesar Espinal. Canha was added to the Royals' 40-man roster three days later. On April 8, Canha left a game against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

early after running into the left field wall at

Kauffman Stadium Kauffman Stadium () (nicknamed "The K") is a ballpark located in Kansas City, Missouri, and the home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals. It is next door to Arrowhead Stadium, home of National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. Bo ...

, resulting in a stint on the

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. He returned to the Royals on April 20 and plated his first RBI of the season that night, in a ten-inning win over the

Personal life

Canha's wife, Marci, is an architect who is also originally from San Jose. Canha is of Portuguese heritage. Canha is a foodie; he loves trying new places and new types of food. Canha has described himself as a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

and a supporter of

LGBTQ rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Nota ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Canha, Mark 1989 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players American people of Portuguese descent Baseball players from San Jose, California Bellarmine College Preparatory alumni Brewster Whitecaps players California Golden Bears baseball players Detroit Tigers players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Gulf Coast Marlins players Jacksonville Suns players Jamestown Jammers players Jupiter Hammerheads players Kansas City Royals players Las Vegas Aviators players Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball outfielders Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players New Orleans Zephyrs players New York Mets players Oakland Athletics players Omaha Storm Chasers players San Francisco Giants players Sportspeople of Portuguese descent St. Cloud River Bats players