Candelario was born in New York City and moved to the Dominican Republic when he was five years old so that his father could open a baseball training center.

[5] The Cubs promoted Candelario to the major league team on July 3, 2016, to replace Chris Coghlan, who was placed on the disabled list.

[8] On July 31, 2017, the Cubs traded Candelario with Isaac Paredes and a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.

In eight games during the week, Candelario hit .423 (11-for-26) with four doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs, four walks and a .923 slugging percentage.

For the second straight season, Candelario led the Tigers in extra-base hits, with 61, and also finished with a team-best 3.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

Candelario was named Tiger of the Year for the second straight season by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

[18] On March 22, 2022, Candelario signed a one-year, $5.8 million contract with the Tigers, avoiding salary arbitration.

[21] On July 31, 2023, the Nationals traded Candelario to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for DJ Herz and Kevin Made.

On December 11, 2023, Candelario signed a three-year, $45 million, contract that also included a club option for a fourth year, with the Cincinnati Reds.