Landmark · July 22, 2026
McCannon's Hundred
100 career home runs across five clubs and thirteen seasons — from a catcher whose mother was told he might not survive.
100 career home runs · AZ
Before the Count
His mother, Carla, spent more than five months on bed rest during her pregnancy. Her amniotic sac had torn. Doctors gave the baby less than a 25 percent chance of surviving without disabilities and recommended abortion. James Thomas McCann was born healthy on June 13, 1990, in Santa Barbara, California — a week before the first anniversary of his stillborn older brother, Timothy. The family, according to Sports Spectrum, attributed the outcome to faith.
One Hundred
On July 22, 2026, McCann hit his 100th career home run in an Arizona Diamondbacks uniform. He has spent thirteen seasons in the major leagues, appeared in 996 games, and collected 798 hits and 411 RBI across five organizations.
The White Sox drafted him in the 31st round out of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He did not sign. He went to the University of Arkansas, and Detroit took him in the second round, 76th overall, of the 2011 draft. He debuted in September 2014 and played five years for the Tigers, earning Tigers Rookie of the Year honors in 2015. Two seasons with the Chicago White Sox followed, where he made his only All-Star team in 2019. Then two years with the Mets, two with the Orioles, and now a second season with the Diamondbacks. The nickname "McCannon" came from the throwing arm behind the plate.
In December 2017, his twin sons, Christian and Kane, arrived 10 weeks premature by emergency C-section, each weighing about three pounds. They spent seven to eight weeks in the NICU with uncertain outcomes. The boys later thrived and joined their father at the 2019 All-Star Home Run Derby.
He turned 36 in June and has appeared in 35 games for Arizona this season.
Reporting: Sports Spectrum, MLB.com, Wikipedia, Baseball-Reference. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.