UCLA's Griffin Canning Taking The Mound Thursday

UCLA alumni and New York Mets right hander Griffin Canning is taking the mound against the Atlanta Braves Thursday at 4:10 p.m. PT in hopes of closing out his shaky month of June on a high note.

Canning is coming off earning his seventh win of the year against the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday despite giving up three early runs. His win set him right back on the solid track he was on the rest of the season.

The former Bruin posted a 9.31 ERA in his last two starts before Saturday, giving up 10 earned runs over 9.2 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals. The six-year veteran looked as if he was going to be on the same track against the Phillies after giving up a two spot in the first inning and one more in the second, but the Mets batters had his back as he allowed just one more run (unearned) over the next three innnings.

The former Bruin finished with a line of 5.0 innings, three earned runs, four strikeouts and two walks on his way to his seventh win of the year. The Mets won the game 11-4; Philadelphia scored a fourth run off Canning in the fifth inning after Trea Turner got on base off a error by Jeff McNeil and was brought home on an Alec Bohm single.

Canning now has a 3.91 ERA on the season in 15 starts and over 73.2 innings pitched. The righty was having some sort of a revival year on a one-year prove-it deal with the Mets after spending his first five season with the Los Angeles Angels. Canning is on pace to post the lowest single-season ERA of his career with New York.

The six-year pitcher has played the Braves once in his career, a loss in August 2024 where he allowed seven runs, eight hits and one walk along with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Canning's Career With UCLA

Canning spent two season with UCLA. In 2017, he was a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings All-American second team selection, All-Pac-12 team selection, named to Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and the team leader in innings pitched, strikeouts and ERA, just to name a few of his accomplishments.

The then-junior started 17 games and boasted a 2.34 ERA and 7-4 record over 119.0 innings pitched. Canning was drafted by the Angels with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He finished his career with the Bruins sixth all-time in strikeouts with 301 after two seasons.