Former Cubs top outfield prospect is taking his talents to Japan

It's hard to remember now, but a little over three years ago, Matt Mervis and Alexander Canario were the talk of all of Minor League Baseball.

The two top Chicago Cubs prospects were locked into a home run race for the ages (as far as MiLB goes), as Canario finished one ahead of Mervis with 37 home runs for the 2022 season. It was the most exciting thing to follow as a Cubs fan at the time, and it was easy to dream big about both slugging talents.

Of course, those dreams never materialized into reality, as "Mash" Mervis never found his footing with the Cubs and was subsequently traded for Vidal Bruján last offseason (talk about a lose-lose trade). Amazingly, the Washington Nationals are giving him another shot to prove his MLB bona fides.

Canario wasn't so lucky this winter, and he's now taking the road less traveled by heading overseas after signing a deal with the NPB’s Seibu Lions.

Former Cubs prospect Alexander Canario heads to NPB after flaming out

Canario never got many opportunities to win over the Cubs, receiving all of 45 plate appearances with the big-league team between the 2023-24 seasons.

He did produce in that small sample, posting a 135 wRC+ and five extra-base hits, though he ran a strikeout rate well over 40 percent, which was simply untenable at the highest level. The Cubs ultimately DFA'd him last offseason, and after the Mets picked him up for a brief spell, he spent all of the 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

You'll be forgiven for not remembering that he was with a division rival this past year, seeing as his tenure in Pittsburgh was wholly unremarkable. In 234 plate appearances, he hit just six home runs while recording a scant 68 wRC+. Despite some solid defensive and baserunning metrics, his 34.2% strikeout rate yet again rendered him largely unplayable for long stretches.

Turning to the NPB could be a career-saving move for the 25-year-old, where his power and defensive versatility should play up against softer-tossing competition. Plenty of veterans have had success turning bountiful seasons in Asia into guaranteed MLB contracts, and it'll only take one homer binge from Canario to remind everyone why some considered him a fringe Top-100 prospect back in the day.

Even if his days in major leagues are over, though, Cubs fans will always have the memory of that grand slam in his first career start.