Canaan Smith-Njigba Named Indians September Player of the Month

September 22, 2023 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Indians today named corner outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba as their September Player of the Month. He currently leads the International League in batting average, RBI and hits in September.

Smith-Njigba, 24, has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games - including eight multi-hit performances and an active nine-game hitting streak. Through 17 games, the lefty is hitting .431 (28-for-65) with seven doubles, two home runs, 23 RBI, a .471 on-base percentage, six stolen bases and 1.102 OPS. Along with leading the league in batting average, RBI and hits, he ranks among league qualifiers in doubles (T-2nd), stolen bases (T-4th), total bases (T-6th, 41), OBP (9th) and OPS (10th). His 23 RBI ties a single-month career best (also: April 2019 with Single-A Charleston).

On Sept. 5 at Toledo, he went 4-for-5 with five RBI and two stolen bases to tie single-game career bests in all three categories. He later followed with another four-hit and five-RBI performance on Sept. 19 vs.

Rochester. The pair of season-high four-hit performances were the fifth and sixth of his career, respectively. Smith-Njigba had one five-RBI game in his career - Aug. 11, 2017, with GCL Yankees East at FCL Tigers East - before collecting two this month.

The slugger is hitting .280 (107-for-382) with 55 runs, 26 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 20 stolen bases and an .834 OPS in 103 games. His home run and stolen base totals are career highs.

Smith-Njigba was acquired by Pittsburgh from New York (AL) with right-handed pitchers Roansy Contreras, Miguel Yajure and infielder Maikol Escotto in exchange for right-hander Jameson Taillon on Jan. 24, 2021. He was originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Rockwall-Heath (Heath, Texas) High School.

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