PORT ST. LUCIE — Griffin Canning became hooked on the Mets this offseason when team officials, on a Zoom call during his recruitment, started discussing the technology they use to help pitchers improve.
One such technology system is KinaTrax, which shows a three-dimensional skeleton of a pitcher’s delivery rather than just video of his mechanics.
Canning was “intrigued” by the discussion, which he said was a factor in his decision to sign with the Mets. The right-hander received a one-year contract worth $4.25 million from the club.
The Mets, now in the third season of their pitching lab, are among the MLB teams at the forefront of incorporating technology into their pitching development.
Canning, 28, spent six seasons with the Angels, who were less inclined to employ such methods.
“It’s a little bit different,” Canning said. “The Angels might have had all the stuff, but they really didn’t incorporate it. They kind of, no fault of theirs, wanted to give guys the information when they felt they were ready for it because it was overwhelming sometimes. Once [Mets instructors] get some eyes on me, I think we’ll kind of dive into some of that stuff.”
Canning said he understands why pitchers might view the new wave of information available as overwhelming, but he’s here to learn.
As a “delivery guy,” Canning wants to study his mechanics. Once he has a good idea about his optimal delivery, he says it will allow him to utilize new pitches.
“I think it would be stupid not to use the technology to get yourself better,” Canning said. “But it also matters the guys that are running it and dissecting it and boil it down for you in a simple way you can understand it.”
The Mets instruction group includes pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, new assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel and director of pitching development Eric Jagers.
Canning pitched to a 5.19 ERA in 32 appearances last season (31 as a starter) and figures to contribute as part of the six-man rotation the Mets plan to employ for much of this season.
Last season, the Mets received strong results from Sean Manaea and Luis Severino among others trying to resurrect their careers.
“Sometimes you kind of come into a new environment and somebody might say something a different way or little things like that,” Canning said. “You can kind of feed off the energy of the guys. Obviously, the kind of year the Mets were able to have last year, I think it can kind of roll into spring training and bring some good vibes around.”
