Texas Rangers Top Prospect Willie Calhoun Is Punishing Baseballs
By Johnny Casey
Two years ago, Willie Calhoun was the 2nd-rated prospect in the Texas Rangers organization. In 2018 though, he split time between the Rangers and AAA Nashville, and never really found his footing with the Big League club. This year is a different story, and he’s proving that he can flat out rake.
Maybe Texas Rangers prospect Willie Calhoun is envisioning himself as John Wick–the victim of someone who has just lost his dog–and is taking out his anger on MLB baseballs because the guy is on fire.
In his first two games of the 2019 season with the Rangers, he’s 6-for-12 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs. Where there wasn’t any space for him on the roster to begin the season, if he continues to produce near this level, Chris Woodward will be forced to keep him in the lineup.
To begin the season, the Rangers placed him in AAA Nashville in what some people considered a service-time manipulation transaction.
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Our own Travis Koch took the opposite opinion, suggesting that Calhoun would need to prove himself in spring training to earn a spot on the roster, as there was no space for him in the starting lineup.
Throughout his minors career, he has always hit. In 2017, in his age-22 season in AAA, Willie Calhoun tore it up, amassing a .300 average, 31 HRs, 93 RBIs, and only 61 Ks in 486 at-bats. He was traded with two others prospects from the Dodgers to the Texas Rangers at the 2017 deadline for Yu Darvish.
Now that Calhoun is hitting the way he is though, the question becomes what to do with the other pieces on the roster. His production means that Calhoun, Nomar Mazara, Shin-Soo Choo, and Hunter Pence will all be sharing time in the corner OF spots.
Additionally, Calhoun also played some 2B in AAA, so he is an option there.
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One thing is clear: Willie Calhoun’s 2019 glow-up is a real thing, and he is aiming to find his way into the lineup whichever way he can. If he continues close to this pace, not only will he be in the lineup, but he will challenge for AL Rookie of the Year.