For the third year in a row, Mark Canha is on the verge of breaking out for the Oakland A’s.
In 2015, he was acquired as an under-the-radar minor league slugger. However, the beginning of his rookie year was bogged down by a stomach illness, and he didn’t make it into the everyday lineup until August. Once there he did start hitting as advertised, though, and posted a 133 wRC+ over the final 46 games with regular playing time.
In 2016, coming off that successful stint the previous summer, he became a prime breakout candidate. But a slow start quickly turned into season-ending hip surgery, and that was that.