Canaan Smith-Njigba Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects
Track Record: Smith-Njigba has been known for posting high walk rates all the way back to his days as a high school star in Texas when teams mostly pitched around him. The Yankees drafted him in 2017 and traded him along with three others to the Pirates in 2021 in exchange for Jameson Taillon. He made his big league debut in mid-June, but suffered a season-ending fractured right wrist in an outfield collision just three games into his stint in Pittsburgh. His brother, Jaxon, stars at wide receiver for Ohio State and is a potential first-round NFL draft pick in 2023.
Scouting Report: Smith-Njigba parses balls and strikes as well as any hitter in Pittsburgh's system, walking 15.1% of the time with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2022. He pairs that plate discipline with considerable strength-based power, exceeding 90 mph average exit velocity. His natural swing plane, though, is not geared for lift and curbs his in-game power. The good news is Smith-Njigba slashed his groundball rate by roughly 13% in the minors in 2022, but it still clocked in at 52.8%. Defensively, he's likely ticketed for left field because of his fringe-average running ability, throwing arm and range, although he can handle right field in a pinch.
The Future: Smith-Njigba has a chance to reach a platoon-type role in the big leagues. He should vie for opportunities in Pittsburgh's wide-open corner outfield competition in 2023.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 45.
