Player Profile: Robinson Cano

After a bumpy 2015 season, Robinson Cano looks to bounce back in a big way in 2016 by evening out the peaks and valleys of last season. 

Robinson Cano had a lot of weight on his shoulders coming into his first season as a Mariner. After the signing of a huge 10-year/ $240,000,000 contract, all of Seattle expected big numbers from the East Coast All-Star. Cano went on to bat .287 with 179 hits–some of his lowest career numbers. Near the end of the season, Cano found his stride, batting .328 through August and September. Spring Training is under way and Cano has already sent one out of the park, making a statement for the new season.

The early struggles for Robinson Cano in 2015 left many questions about his ability to perform in a new environment. Cano is capable of exceptional power hitting, racking up 33 HR in 2010, but has never been relied on for the long ball. In New York, big bats such as Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira surrounded Cano, allowing him to hit for contact and become an RBI producer. The transition to Seattle forced him into a power hitter role, where he was placed in the 3 and 4 spots of the lineup.

The identity change seemed to run Cano off track. 107 strikeouts in 2015 suggest an over-eager approach to the plate, where he swinging for the fences rather than focusing on contact. Granted, Cano cranked out 7 more HR than his 2014 season total, but he also had significantly less walks. 

Nelson Cruz took much of the pressure off of Cano, dropping 44 HR and 93 RBI. Kyle Seager also came through late in 2015, hitting 11 HR in the last 2 months of the season.  These key players allowed Cano to slide back into his spot at #2 in the lineup where he excelled to finish the season.

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Cano washed away his mid-season blues with a hot streak over the final months of the season. In the last half of 2015, Cano posted 52 RBI, more than doubling his first half total. His OBP also soared from .276 to a much-improved .384 after the All-Star break. There’s a very definitive split in all Cano’s statistics between the first and second halves of the season. The split attests to the theory that he just needed time to settle in. Ending the year on a much needed high note, Cano is looking good for the new season.

Now, Spring Training is here and the 2016 season looms over the players. Like I said, Cano has gotten off to a hot start with a quick home run. But is the All-Star Robinson Cano here to stay?

“Robbie has the bounce in his step,” said new manager Scott Servais. “He looks great. I think he feels good, physically, and it’s shown in the workouts.”

Cano battled hernia problems (unknown at the time) all last season. After receiving surgery in the off season, Cano is feeling like his old self. The 33 year-old second baseman seems healthy as ever. Opening Day approaches quickly and Mariners fans everywhere wonder which Cano will show up to the plate. While we may not know the answer, veterans such as Cano are more than capable of correcting their errors and making themselves better.

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It’s unlikely that Cano will have a season like 2015 this year. The gulf between his first and second half performances was far too wide to expect again. Whether he returns to his power-hitting ways or his opposite-field, contact-driven approach will be fun to watch.