Dominic Canzone Bio
Dominic Gene Canzone is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on August 16, 1997, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Canzone developed into a steady power-hitting outfielder after a standout amateur career at Walsh Jesuit High School and Ohio State University. He made his MLB debut in July 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was traded to the Mariners later that same month. He wears jersey number 8 and is recognized for a signature “finger pinch” hand gesture that nods to his Italian-American heritage.
Early Life and Background
Dominic Gene Canzone was born on August 16, 1997, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and grew up in a tight-knit household with three siblings. His father is Dave Canzone, and his mother is Amy Miklos, who was diagnosed with breast cancer while Dominic was in elementary school. After two years of treatment that included chemotherapy, she recovered, and she later gave Dominic a baseball card with a uniform patch that he wore during his MLB debut. The experience shaped his close relationship with his family and grounded his approach to the game.
As a child, Canzone cheered for the Cleveland Indians and admired players such as Ken Griffey Jr., Kenny Lofton, and Adam Dunn. He attended Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, where he pitched 16⅓ scoreless innings as a sophomore in 2014 while batting .434 with three home runs and 27 RBIs, and later earned All-Ohio honorable mention as a senior in 2016. Unselected in the 2016 MLB Draft, he chose to play college baseball at Ohio State University.
Path to Professional Baseball
At Ohio State, Canzone quickly established himself as one of the Big Ten’s most consistent hitters. As a freshman in 2017, he started 39 games and batted .343 with three home runs, 36 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases, earning a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten freshman team. In 2018, he started 60 games and hit .323 with four home runs, 35 RBIs, 18 doubles, and 15 stolen bases, then played collegiate summer baseball for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star.
His junior season in 2019 marked his clearest breakthrough. Canzone started 63 games and batted .345 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs, setting a Buckeyes record with a 59-game on-base streak that surpassed the mark previously held by Nick Swisher. He led the Big Ten in hits and slugging percentage, served as team captain, and was named a third-team All-American by Rawlings. That summer, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the eighth round with the 242nd overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, and he signed for $170,000.
Dominic Canzone Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Canzone made his professional debut with the Missoula Osprey of the Rookie Advanced Pioneer League in 2019, then was promoted in early August to the Hillsboro Hops of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League. Over 46 games between the two clubs, he batted .281 with eight home runs, 38 RBIs, and 19 doubles. The 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he returned to Ohio State to finish his bachelor’s degree.
In 2021, Canzone dealt with injuries in May and August but appeared in 44 games for Hillsboro before earning a promotion to the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, where he played 35 games. He finished the year slashing .302/.375/.522 with 14 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases, and he closed the season with a stint in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters, where he posted a solid .905 on-base plus slugging in 78 plate appearances.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2023)
Canzone returned to the Triple-A Reno Aces to open 2023 and produced the best offensive stretch of his career, batting .354/.431/.634 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs in 71 games. On July 7, 2023, Arizona selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time. He debuted that night as a designated hitter, going hitless but drawing a walk and scoring the tying run in the tenth inning of a Diamondbacks win.
He hit his first career home run on July 20, 2023, off Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider, giving him a quick first impression in the big leagues. In his first 15 games with Arizona, Canzone hit .237 with one home run before his role changed later that month.
Seattle Mariners Era (2023–Present)
On July 31, 2023, the Diamondbacks traded Canzone along with infielders Josh Rojas and Ryan Bliss to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for closer Paul Sewald. Canzone played in most of Seattle’s games over the final two months, mostly in left field and as a left-handed pinch hitter, hitting .215/.248/.407 with five home runs in 44 games. He became a fan favorite for his “finger pinch” hand gesture celebrating big plays.
In 2024, Canzone opened with a three-run home run on April 1, posting a .531 slugging percentage in his first 14 games before missing a month after crashing into the outfield wall. After a right adductor strain sent him back to the injured list in July, he was optioned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on August 28 and finished with a .196 average, eight home runs, and 17 RBIs in 67 games for Seattle.
Canzone began 2025 with Triple-A Tacoma, was recalled on April 7 to replace the injured Victor Robles, and shuttled between Tacoma and Seattle through mid-June. He spent the rest of the season with the Mariners, and on September 16, he went 5-for-5 with three home runs and four RBIs in a 12–5 win over the Kansas City Royals, becoming the 12th player in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game. He appeared in 82 games and hit .300 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs, then went 3-for-28 with one run scored in the postseason.
Driving Style and Strengths
Canzone is a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder whose game centers on plate discipline, opposite-field power, and reliable outfield defense. He pairs a patient approach at the plate with above-average exit velocity, allowing him to drive balls to the gaps and capitalize on fastballs. He has logged most of his innings in left field with the Mariners, where his reads on fly balls and willingness to attack the wall stand out.
Notable Events and Milestones
Canzone’s first career home run came off Spencer Strider in 2023, and his first three-homer game arrived on September 16, 2025, against Kansas City, making him the 12th player in Mariners history to accomplish the feat. He also represented Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, hitting a home run in Italy’s win over Brazil. He opened the 2026 MLB season with two solo home runs on Opening Day against Cleveland and hit his first career grand slam on May 12 off Tatsuya Imai of the Houston Astros.
Dominic Canzone Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dominic Canzone is the son of Dave Canzone and Amy Miklos, and he grew up with three siblings in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. His Italian-American heritage is central to his family identity, and he has honored it on the field with his signature “finger pinch” hand gesture. His mother’s battle with breast cancer, which she survived after two years of treatment, remains a defining influence on his life and career.
Personal Life
Canzone returned to Ohio State in 2020 and completed his bachelor’s degree after the minor league season was cancelled. He is an American citizen by birth and has strong ties to Northeast Ohio, where he developed as a young ballplayer. He has spoken openly about his mother’s influence, including the baseball card with a uniform patch that he wore during his MLB debut.
2025 Season Performance
Canzone’s 2025 campaign was defined by steady production and a signature September surge. He began the year in Triple-A Tacoma but earned a recall on April 7 to replace the injured Victor Robles, then bounced between Tacoma and Seattle while managing a left shoulder sprain. After returning in May and being recalled again on June 9, he spent the rest of the season with the Mariners and finished with a .300 average, 11 home runs, and 32 RBIs across 82 games.
His September 16, 2025, performance against the Royals, a 5-for-5 night with three home runs and four RBIs, was the high point of his year and cemented his place in franchise history as the 12th Mariner to hit three home runs in a game. The hot finish translated into a postseason role, though he went 3-for-28 with one run scored across the Mariners’ playoff games. His combination of platoon left-handed pop and corner-outfield defense made him a regular in Seattle’s late-season lineup.
Heading into 2026, Canzone carried the momentum of his September surge into spring training and onto Opening Day, where he hit two solo home runs against Cleveland. The 2026 season has already added a first career grand slam on May 12, and his continued power output suggests he remains a key piece of Seattle’s outfield mix.
