Mark Canha’s latest appearance in a big-league uniform wasn’t on a baseball field - it was in a kitchen.
The former Kansas City Royals outfielder showed up on Food Network’s new competition show, “100 Cooks,” and found himself trading cleats and gloves for a smock, cutlery and a fully stocked kitchen. Canha said the whole thing felt a little surreal.
“It was kind of wild,” Canha said of the experience.
The show, which aired its third episode on June 21, puts 100 home chefs into a professional cooking competition hosted by former NFL standout and actor Terry Crews and judged by Alex Guarnaschelli and Nick DiGiovanni. Canha was one of the contestants, chasing a cash prize worth as much as $250,000.
His path onto the show started with a message that landed in the right place at the right time.
“I think they emailed me because I have my email link on my Instagram,” said Canha, 37, who made his MLB debut with the Athletics and went on to play for five other clubs, including KC.
“So one day I got an email from their casting department and Food Network,” he continued. “I did a little bit of digging to make sure it was real and everything. Once I found out it was real, the timing of when they were filming was kind of perfect.”
That timing mattered. Canha was preparing for the 2026 season, feeling good physically and confident about his chances of landing on a big-league roster after appearing in 46 games with the Royals in 2025. He also reached a major career marker last year, going past 10 years of MLB service time.
He later got a shot with the Texas Rangers in February, and the Food Network shoot fit neatly before spring training began in March. After talking it over with his wife, he decided to go for it.
“I talked to my wife about it and she was like, I think you should do it,” Canha said.
Production took him to Burbank, California, where he spent four days filming. When the competition began, Canha was among nine chefs selected for a bake-sale challenge. The task: make a dessert in 50 minutes, then wait for the judges to buy four desserts apiece and eliminate one contestant.
Canha went with a strawberry galette, a French dessert with a flaky crust and a pie-like feel. He finished the dish, but the judges didn’t think it measured up, and he was out after the first round.
“It was something that seemed, to me, like a simple idea,” Canha said of his choice of dish. “But not being an experienced baker, I think in retrospect, with my lack of experience, I didn’t even know that like that was probably a little too ambitious of a thing to take on, given the time.
“Baking is such a science; there are a lot of things that could go wrong.”
Canha said the experience was enjoyable, even if the clock made the whole thing feel as demanding as facing elite velocity on the mound. He liked the challenge and the chance to learn in real time.
“It’s just that sort of learning environment, I think, that is really fun and cool for me,” he said.
His baseball future is still open, though the direction is pointing toward retirement. The Rangers released him after spring training, but Canha said he’s not shutting the door if another team calls.
Away from the field, he’s leaned into food more and more. He recently traveled through Europe with his family, eating his way through Paris, Nice, Rome and other cities.
“It was fun eating and we had the kids with us, so it was a little bit of everything,” he said. “A little bit of good food, a little bit of adventuring - you know, all of it.”
He also shares restaurant recommendations on Instagram through his account, @bigleaguefoodie, including a few spots in Kansas City.
And if Food Network comes calling again, he already knows his answer.
“Yeah, I would definitely do it again,” he said. “I’d like to think it would go better the second time because I think getting one of those under your belt is just invaluable in terms of doing well in competition.”
In Other News...
Royals Just Reached A Trade Deadline Crossroads Fans Feared
The All-Star break arrived with the Royals stuck at 38-59, a record that leaves them tied for the worst mark in baseball and forces a hard look at where this season is headed. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone have given Kansas City some bright spots, but the roster around them has been battered by injuries to key arms and late-inning pieces, and the club has spent most of the summer trying to patch holes instead of climbing the standings.
Kansas Citys deficit in the division and wild-card race has made a postseason push look remote, which is why the next few weeks feel so important for the front office. With the Aug. 3 deadline approaching, the Royals are in no position to buy, and general manager J.J. Picollo could be faced with deciding whether to move multiple veterans and reset around the younger core rather than keep waiting for a turnaround that has not materialized. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Face A Franchise Shaping Deadline Decision Again
The Royals are once again being asked to decide whether to think short-term or keep leaning into the long view at the trade deadline. After spending the last few years trying to build a sturdier base, the front office is weighing whether to chase young, controllable talent that fits the roster for 2027 and beyond, even if it means parting with pieces that help now.
That kind of move can make sense on paper, but it also comes with real consequences for a club that still has to cover innings in the present. Kansas City already has a thin rotation to manage, and the organization is also trying to nurture upside from within, including high school pitcher Jack Slightom, the 6-foot-5 right-hander it took with the No. 56 pick and one of the more intriguing arms in the system after he touched 98 mph. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Late Draft Pick Carries More Weight Than Fans Realize
The Royals 19th-round choice of Hudson DeVaughan was never just about adding another arm to the system. Kansas City has leaned into an underslot draft strategy, saving money early so it can chase prep talent later, and DeVaughan fits that larger puzzle as a right-handed pitcher with real upside and enough raw stuff to make the pick worth remembering. An Alabama commit with a fastball that helped him climb the board this spring, he gives the Royals another lottery ticket in a draft class built around flexibility.
Hudson DeVaughan also gives Kansas City a little insurance if the rest of the class doesnt break the way the club hopes. Late picks like this often live in the margins of draft coverage, but this one carries more weight because of what it could unlock elsewhere, whether that means extra room to get other young players signed or simply a fallback if the money gets tight. Even if he never becomes the headline, the Royals clearly saw enough in the arm to make him part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]