Dominic Canzone’s Rise Could Make Him an All-Star

When you think potential All-Stars to come out of Seattle, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock, Randy Arozarena, and Julio Rodriguez will be the first names that come to mind. These are the players who appear in team promotions and across highlight reels, but they are not the only ones who should be at the heart of the discussion.

How about the Seattle Mariners’ OPS leader, Dominic Canzone? Yes, that’s right, Canzone’s .899 OPS leads all Mariners hitters, and his 13 home runs rank second only to Luke Raley and Julio Rodriguez.

The 28 year-old made a splash last season, slashing .300/.358/.481 with 11 home runs in 82 games as a platoon outfielder. That production earned him the same role this season.

After struggling to establish himself in the major leagues in parts of two seasons between 2023 and 2024, some might have written off last year’s production as a fluke.

Well, he’s proving it was an indication of what’s to come.

Thinking of Canzone as an All-Star might feel a bit strange, but so does voting for Jesús Sánchez and Daulton Varsho. So let’s get weird.

Stats were taken prior to play on June 30.

The All-Star Case for Canzone

I know the first reservation will be about the idea of a platoon player making the All-Star team. I’m sure plenty of people believe that someone who doesn’t face left-handed pitching doesn’t deserve that honor. The reality is that it shouldn’t matter — and historically, it hasn’t.

All you have to do is look back at last year. Jonathan Aranda was a strict platoon bat and made the team as a reserve. Brandon Lowe technically faced lefties, but his .548 OPS against southpaws certainty did not help him get selected.

A number of players have made the All-Star Game with fluky reasoning, so holding a player out because he does not often face lefties, which makes up for roughly 30% of pitchers, is not a strong enough reason to not vote for him.

Now, let’s look at the season Canzone is having.

Across 75 games and 219 plate appearances, he is slashing .273/.347/.552 with 13 home runs and a 153 wRC+. He has been one of, if not the, best hitters for Seattle and has helped keep the Mariners afloat while Cal Raleigh has been unavailable and underperforming.

Julio Rodriquez is still doing the slow first-half thing he tends to do, and Randy Arozarena still doesn’t get the shine he deserves. So, why not Canzone?

For the sake of this exercise, we will only consider the American League for rankings.

Of the AL players with at least 200 plate appearances, Canzone’s 153 wRC+ ranks sixth behind Yordan Alvarez, Yandy Diaz, Nick Kurtz, Munetaka Murakami, and Junior Caminero. No, I did not miss Aaron Judge, who is currently looking up at Canzone from eighth with a 149 wRC+.

That places Canzone as the second-highest wRC+ amongst American League designated hitters or outfielders behind only Alvarez, a surefire All-Star and bona fide superstar.

Though Canzone has been a DH more than an outfielder, I do think he should still be considered when talking about outfield selections. Even if you limit him to DH consideration, the top two vote-getters are Yordan Alvarez (a lock) and George Springer, who has undoubtedly benefited from the Blue Jays’ passionate fan base stuffing the ballots.

How about home runs? Only six AL outfielders have more than Canzone, and while 13 is hardly a number that will drive you into the All-Star spotlight, it is enough to keep your chances from sinking. His .552 slugging percentage puts him in the top five among all AL hitters as well.

Although the Midsummer Classic is an event that highlights the best players in the game, which Canzone has been so far in 2026, it also is a way to highlight players who deserve more shine. Each season, we see a number of players selected who might not come to mind when you think of the traditional All-Star prototype. So why can’t Canzone be one of those players this year?

On the surface, asking where the Mariners would be without Canzone might sound goofy. But in reality, the question is fair. Seattle’s 43-43 record hardly jumps off the page, but without Canzone and his team-leading offensive production, they would be much worse.

Having a season that is worthy of an All-Star appearance and actually being selected to participate are two different things. So, even with his production, does Canzone have a chance?

Will Canzone Pull it Off?

I hate to be a downer, but when it is all said and done Dominic Canzone is likely to be on the outside looking in, I get that. The odds are never in the favor of the less-proven option. Yandy Diaz in Tampa has been phenomenal and has earned the right to make the All-Star team as a DH, behind Alvarez and ahead of Canzone.

If you’re able to make the case for him as an outfielder, things become much more interesting. Aaron Judge and Mike Trout are virtual locks based on both their production and popularity, but both are injured and unlikely to participate. Byron Buxton is a lock, and Cody Bellinger likely is as well.

That leaves you with some cannibalism amongst Canzone, who has the production, Arozarena, who has the bigger name to go along with solid production himself. Then there’s Julio, who has the superstar label, boosting his overall All-Star candidacy.

If getting one of Seattle’s bats into the All-Star game, Julio may get in simply from his popularity. But is that fair? I guess we’ll see.

Other outfielders and designated hitters who present competition include Riley Greene, Samuel Basallo, and various Blue Jays. Again, well done, Toronto fans.

There’s also the unique wrinkle of each team needing an All-Star representative, which can result in a less deserving player making the roster simply to fill that requirement. Hey, maybe that’s Canzone!

Kidding aside, regardless of what happens, Canzone is having a phenomenal season. He’s a player who never really had a clear path to regular playing time in Arizona and initially struggled to carve out a stable role in Seattle. Now, he’s done exactly that — and he’s thriving. If nothing else, shining a light on Canzone and the season he’s having makes this discussion worthwhile.