Monday was a special night at the ballpark for the Smith-Njigba family.
Canaan Smith-Njigba, a Pirates outfielder, collected the first two RBIs of his Major League Baseball career in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 23-year-old laced a two-run double to left field in the first inning of what was only his sixth big league game.
In attendance to see the table-setting two-bagger was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Canaan’s younger brother who is only a few weeks away from hearing his name called during the 2023 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product also was able to witness a cool moment in the fourth frame when his old brother silenced Red Sox fans after making an inning-ended snag in left.
The stud wide receiver prospect celebrated the moment on his Instagram story.
“Relax we good!!!” Jaxon captioned the post.
The younger Smith-Njigba brother is a virtual lock to be selected on Day 1 of the draft, and there’s a chance he ends up going off the board at No. 14 overall to the receiver-needy Patriots. Speaking with NESN’s Jahmai Webster during Monday’s Pirates-Red Sox series opener, Jaxon acknowledged he “loved” the Boston area and teased New England fans by saying, “Maybe I’m here in a few months.”
As for Canaan, he and the Pirates will try to secure a series win over the Red Sox on Tuesday. NESN’s complete coverage of the middle game begins at 6 p.m. ET.
