Canaan Smith-Njigba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canaan Smith-Njigba |
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Smith-Njigba with the Indianapolis Indians in 2022
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| Free agent | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 30, 1999 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 14, 2022, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .135 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 5 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Canaan Elijah Smith-Njigba was born on April 30, 1999. He is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder. Canaan has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is currently a free agent.
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Early Baseball Days
Canaan Smith-Njigba grew up in Heath, Texas. He went to Rockwall-Heath High School. There, he played a lot of baseball. He was a very good player. Colleges noticed his talent. He decided he would play college baseball at the University of Arkansas.
During his last year of high school, something interesting happened. Teams intentionally walked him 32 times in just 24 games. This means the pitcher purposely threw four balls. They did this to avoid letting him hit. It showed how much other teams feared his batting skills. After high school, the New York Yankees picked him in the 2017 MLB draft.
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting with the Yankees
After joining the Yankees, Canaan started his professional journey. He played for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Yankees. He hit well, with a batting average of .289. He also hit five home runs.
In 2018, he played for the Staten Island Yankees. This team is in a lower league called Low-A. He had some injuries that year. In 2019, he moved up to the Charleston RiverDogs. He played very well there. He was even chosen as an All-Star. That year, he hit .307. He also had 11 home runs and stole 16 bases. In 2020, he did not play. This was because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In January 2021, Canaan was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He joined three other players in this trade. He spent most of 2021 with the Altoona Curve. This is a Double-A team. He had a good batting average of .274. He also hit six home runs and stole 13 bases.
Later in 2021, he moved up to the Indianapolis Indians. This is a Triple-A team. The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster in November 2021. This protected him from being picked by other teams. He started the 2022 season back with the Indianapolis Indians.
Making it to Major League Baseball
On June 13, 2022, Canaan Smith-Njigba got a big promotion. He was called up to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball. The very next night, he got his first MLB hit. It was a double. He played in three games for the Pirates.
However, on June 17, he got a wrist injury. This put him on the injured list for a long time.
In 2023, Canaan played in 15 games for Pittsburgh. He had five runs batted in. He was later removed from the Pirates' main roster in January 2024.
He was briefly claimed by the Seattle Mariners in February 2024. But he returned to the Pirates just ten days later. He started the 2024 season with Triple-A Indianapolis. He played 54 games there. He was released by the Pirates in July 2024.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
On August 7, 2024, Canaan signed a minor league contract. He joined the Chicago White Sox organization. He played for their Double-A team, the Birmingham Barons. He then moved up to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. After the season ended on November 4, he became a free agent.
Family Life
Canaan Smith-Njigba has a younger brother. His brother is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Jaxon is also a professional athlete. He plays as a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in American football.
Canaan's grandparents on his father's side are from Sierra Leone.
