Mitch Canham
From BR Bullpen
Mitchell Canham
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 212 lb.
- School Oregon State University
- High School Lake Stevens High School
- Born September 25, 1984 in Richland, WA USA
Mitch Canham was a first-round draft pick in 2007 as he was trying to lead his team to a second national title.
Canham went 1 for 6 as a college freshman in 2004. In 2005, Mitch hit .325/.423/.531. The next year, he slipped to to .299/.390/.496 in 64 games but hit .333 in the 2006 College World Series to help Oregon State overcome the University of North Carolina. The St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the 41st round of the 2006 amateur draft; he opted to return to college.
That year, he performed a rap concert for the Special Olympics. Canham was known for rapping throughout his college career, as well as his volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity. He hit .300/.388/.473 in 28 games for the Falmouth Commodores and Baseball America rated him as the #13 prospect in the Cape Cod League, ahead of top-10 draft pick Matt LaPorta. Canham finished sixth in the league in batting average and was fourth in slugging.
He batted .321 and slugged .525 with 10 HR and 57 RBI for OSU through June 23 and also had the best GPA on the team. He was picked by the San Diego Padres with the 57th pick of the 2007 amateur draft, their third first-round choice that year. He was a third-team All-American according to Collegiate Baseball. Canham helped Oregon State to a second consecutive national title as they won the 2007 College World Series.
Canham debuted professionally with the Eugene Emeralds on July 7, going 1 for 3 with a walk against the Vancouver Canadians. He was hitting .353/.450/.500 after his first 8 games in the pros.
Sources: Cape Cod League stats, 2005-2007 Baseball Almanacs, The Baseball Cube, Oregon State website, Minorleaguebaseball.com article on Canham
