The Robinson Cano the Mariners paid $240 million for is finally here
Please break down your 2015 Cano takes and place them in the receptacle.
It's early yet, but that Robinson Cano seems to be gone, hopefully for good. After slogging through a year hampered by stomach issues, a loss in the family and season-ending hernia surgery, the Mariners' $240 million man is coming back to life.
Through three games, Cano's smashed four dingers — a franchise record, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Cano cracked his third and fourth homers of the season Wednesday against the Rangers, ringing up a two-run sky shot in the top of the first off Colby Lewis...
...and a two-run shot to cap a five-run ninth inning rally.
And Cano's not just hitting homers, he is spanking balls. His first home run of the season (coincidentally during his first at-bat) jumped off the wood at 110 mph — with a launch angle of a lean 18 degrees.
Cano didn't hit this ball as much as reprimand it for looking him in the eye.
In contrast, Cano's second home run of the year was more like space exploration. The Mariners second baseman got under and through a pitch at his knees against Texas, and yep. It gone:
This is an admittedly small sample size, and Cano's current clip is unsustainable. But after a 14-homer 2014 season and the on-again, off-again hellscape of 2015, it's encouraging to see Cano pulling with strength and confidence.
So far, the only player hovering in Robinson's current atmosphere is Rockies rookie Trevor Story, who has four home runs through his first three MLB games (an MLB record) and is clearly on baseballing bath salts.
Again, all of this is unsustainable, but if Cano can keep up a semblance of this power and consistency, he'll earn that $24 million he's making this year and then some. And at the very least, Jerry Dipoto will be able to sleep sans night terrors for the time being.
Dan is on Twitter. If he keeps his meme clip up, he'll be running for Congress in 2020.
