I wasn't a believer for a long time. You have to be now.
One of the tenants of modern sports media, whether it be on this platform or on a podcast or radio show, is to be opinionated.
And while it's good to be opinionated, and it's entertaining, it's also important to not become married to a take.
You have to be able to move off a take when you get new information.
And that's where I'm at with Seattle Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone.
I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't a believer when we saw him in a 67-game cameo in 2024, where he hit .196 with eight home runs.
Even when he improved to hitting .300 in an 82-game sample in 2025, I still wasn't sold.
I simply thought he was a streaky hitter who chased too much, and that lack of plate discipline was going to ultimately be his undoing. I thought he was too easy to pitch to because he was too willing to go out of the strike zone.
And I guess I was proven right because Canzone had a chase rate of 36.8 percent last season, which was even higher than Julio Rodriguez (35.9), who we all agree chases too much.
I felt Canzone's approach and lack of discipline were exposed in the playoffs when he hit .107 (3-for-28) with 10 strikeouts.
But in 2026? Canzone has made me a believer. He's made some real changes and he deserves credit for all of them, because they've turned him into a strong player with a real future on this roster.
What does 2026 look like?
The surface numbers are excellent. He's hit .264 with 23 homers and 77 RBIs, helping carry one of the most anemic offenses in the sport. He's also posted a respectable .335 on-base percentage with an .821 OPS.
Randy Arozarena is widely credited with having the most impactful offensive season for the Mariners, and he has, but Canzone isn't far behind. Arozarena has only three more home runs and they have the same number of RBIs entering play on Saturday.
Arozarena's average (.280) and OPS (.862) are better, but not demonstrably better.
Let's dig a little deeper, Baseball Savant.
| Year | Chase Rate | Whiff Rate | Strikeout Rate | Walk Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36.8 | 26.4 | 21.9 | 7.4 |
| 2026 | 34.8 | 27.0 | 20.8 | 8.8 |
As you can see, Canzone has gotten better nearly across the board in these metrics. They aren't massive, massive improvements, but they are improvements. And those adjustments have obviously manifested themselves in a big way.
By not chasing as much, Canzone is more likely to get himself in advantageous counts, and by doing that, he's more likely to see pitches he can do damage on. His walk rate is better, which shows more discipline as well, but it isn't all about walk rate. It's simply about getting yourself in counts where you can get pitches to hit.
He's done that, and he hasn't missed them.
And he deserves credit for it. And as a result, he'll move into 2027 as a foundational part of the Mariners offense.
And by the way? He's also hit .268 against left-handed pitching, actually better than he has against righties (.258). He has a .390 on-base percentage against them, and he's hit five homers against them. That'll play.
Up next
The Mariners will take on the Los Angeles Angels in the penultimate game of the season on Saturday night. Kade Anderson will make his final start the season coming off a historic outing against the Colorado Rockies last weekend.
The season ends on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. PT.
