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Mark Canha was a critical piece to the New York Mets’ 101-win season in 2022, hitting .266 with 13 home runs, 61 runs batted in and a .770 OPS in 140 games. The outfielder expected to build off that with a strong start to this season, but that did not come to fruition. Canha struggled for the first month and a half of the season, but the veteran has begun to produce at the plate over the last few weeks consistently.

He was the star of the show in the Mets’ 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night, driving in all four runs to help his team clinch another series victory. Canha got the team on the board in the bottom of the third, making Aaron Nola pay for leaving an 86 MPH cutter over the middle of the plate. The 34-year-old hit the ball over the wall in left-center field, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.

In the following inning, Canha stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He had an opportunity to give Carlos Carrasco and the Mets some much-needed insurance, and he delivered again. Canha hit an elevated sinker just over the head up Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott, driving Pete Alonso and Brett Baty in.

That would be all the Mets needed, as Carrasco and the bullpen held Philadelphia in check for the rest of the game. Canha was 2-for-3 on the night, contributing with four runs batted in and a run scored. “When we chase results, you can have a good night, and it doesn’t show,” Canha explained. “I try to grab onto something that’s real and something that’s tangible that is sustainable throughout the course of the year and I feel like I’ve been building towards that.”

Canha has stepped up over the last five games, hitting 13-for-42 with a home run and six runs batted in during that stretch. Getting moved toward the bottom of the lineup has not been a concern for him, as he has continued to produce quality at-bats. His willingness to stay ready and be consistent has been noticed by those around him. “Mark [Canha] is low maintenance because he does everything to stay ready,” Buck Showalter said. “Night’s like tonight don’t surprise anybody.”