Kole Calhoun | |
---|---|
Right fielder | |
Born: Tempe, Arizona, U.S. | October 14, 1987|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
May 22, 2012, for the Los Angeles Angels | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 30, 2023, for the Cleveland Guardians | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .242 |
Home runs | 179 |
Runs batted in | 582 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Kole Alan Calhoun (born October 14,1987) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels,Arizona Diamondbacks,Texas Rangers,and Cleveland Guardians. Calhoun played college baseball at Yavapai College and Arizona State University. He was drafted by the Angels in the eighth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft and made his MLB debut in 2012. He won a Gold Glove Award in 2015.
Calhoun attended Buckeye Union High School in Buckeye,Arizona. In 2005,Calhoun and Sammy Solis were named the West Valley High School Baseball Co-Players of the Year. [1]
Calhoun then attended and played college baseball for Yavapai College and Arizona State University. In 2010,his senior year at Arizona State,he batted .321 with 17 home runs and 59 runs batted in (RBIs) in 61 games for the Arizona State Sun Devils. [2]
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Calhoun in the eighth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. [3] He was assigned to Rookie League Orem,where in 56 games,he hit .292 with 7 home runs and 42 RBI. He played 2011 with High-A Inland Empire,where in 133 games,he hit .324 with 22 home runs,99 RBI and a .957 OPS. He also stole 20 bases. He was named to the California League Postseason All-Star team as a utility player. He was the Kenny Myers Minor League Player of the Year in 2011. [4] This monster season earned him a direct promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake to begin 2012. In 43 games prior to his first callup,he hit .296 with 5 home runs and 31 RBI.
On May 21,2012,Calhoun was recalled by the Angels to replace Vernon Wells,who was placed on the disabled list. [5] He made his debut the next day,and he recorded his first major league hit the day after,a double off of Jarrod Parker. Calhoun was the 8th player from the 2010 MLB draft to make his major-league debut. He was sent back down on June 12 after 8 games with the Angels. [6] He made the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. He had another short stint with the Angels before being called up for good in August. His final stats with the Bees in 105 games were .298 with 14 home runs,73 RBI,and a .877 OPS. He was used exclusively off the bench in August and September. In 21 games with the Angels,he hit .174 with 1 RBI in just 23 at-bats.
In 2013,Calhoun was competing for the fifth outfielder spot with J. B. Shuck,but after a poor spring training,in which he hit .174 with 10 RBI and 16 strikeouts in 23 games,Shuck won the position,and Calhoun began 2013 with Salt Lake. [7] Calhoun was recalled on July 28 to replace the injured Albert Pujols. [8] Calhoun was hitting .354 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI with Salt Lake. On August 2,Calhoun hit his first major league home run,a two-run,go-ahead shot off of Steve Delabar in the bottom of the 8th inning,part of a 4-hit night for Calhoun. Because Pujols went down,Josh Hamilton received the most time at designated hitter,leaving right field up for grabs. By the time September rolled around,Calhoun won the job,starting the last 21 games of the season there. In 58 games with the Angels in 2013,Calhoun hit .282 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI.
Calhoun was the starting right-fielder entering 2014. However,after just 14 games,Calhoun was placed on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle. [9] By the time he returned on May 21,Collin Cowgill was playing well as the right-fielder,and Calhoun shared some of his starts with Cowgill. For the season,he scored 90 runs,9th in the AL. [10]
Calhoun played in 159 games for the Angels in 2015,hitting .256 with a career high 26 home runs and 83 RBI,with 164 strikeouts (3rd in the AL). [11] He also played stellar defense in right field,posting a .989 fielding percentage and six defensive runs saved [12] and leading the league in putouts as a right fielder (342) en route to winning his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award. [13]
Despite a slight drop-off in terms of home runs and runs batted in from 2015,Calhoun lowered his strikeout rate and walked more in the 2016 season. Altogether,Calhoun finished batting .271/.348/.438 with 5 triples (10th in the AL),18 home runs and 75 RBIs in 157 games played. [14]
For the third consecutive season,Calhoun played in over 150 games in 2017. He finished the season batting .244/.333/.392 with 19 home runs,71 RBIs,and scored 77 runs. [10] For the first half of the 2018 season,Calhoun struggled offensively despite being tied in outfield assists in MLB with 7. He was placed on the disabled list on June 3 with an oblique injury. [15] In the second half,he hit .231 with 10 home runs. Overall,he finished the season hitting a career-low .208/.283/.369 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. [10] His four double plays led AL outfielders. [10]
Calhoun began slowly in 2019,but picked it up in the second half of the season,finishing the season with a career high 33 home runs in 152 games. On September 28,Calhoun was Justin Verlander's 3,000th career strikeout,however he reached base on an uncaught third strike and then scored on Andrelton Simmons's home run immediately thereafter. [16]
On December 30,2019,Calhoun signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks with a club option for the 2022 season. [17]
On July 6,2020,it was announced that Calhoun had tested positive for COVID-19. He was cleared to resume summer training on July 10. [18] Calhoun finished his first season with Arizona leading the team in home runs (16),RBI (40) and runs scored (35). His home run and RBI totals ranked third and ninth in the National League respectively.
On March 3,2021,Calhoun underwent right knee surgery after suffering a torn meniscus. [19] On April 30,Calhoun underwent another surgery,this time for a split hamstring tendon in his left leg. The injury would sideline him between 6–8 weeks. [20] On May 15,Calhoun was placed on the 60-day injured list. [21] He was activated off of the injured list on July 10. [22] In 2021,he had the slowest sprint speed of all major league right fielders,at 24.7 feet/second. [23]
On November 30,2021,Calhoun signed a 1-year,$5.2 M contract with the Texas Rangers. [24]
On May 27,2022,Calhoun would record his 1,000th hit against Oakland Athletics pitcher,Cole Irvin. He played in 125 games for Texas,slashing .196/.257/.330 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI. On November 8,the Rangers declined Calhoun's $5.5 million option for the 2023 season and he became a free agent. [25]
On February 23,2023,Calhoun signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization. [26] On March 26,Calhoun triggered the opt-out clause in his contract and elected free agency. [27]
On April 20,2023,Calhoun signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees organization. [28] Calhoun played in 23 games for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders,hitting .281/.391/.528 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI. On June 1,he exercised the opt-out clause in his contract,giving the Yankees 48 hours to add him to their 40-man roster or grant him his release. [29] The Yankees declined to add Calhoun to their roster,and he was formally released on June 3. [30]
On June 6,2023,Calhoun signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and was assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. [31] In 35 games for the Triple–A Oklahoma City Dodgers,he hit .308/.367/.532 with 5 home runs and 28 RBI.
On August 4,2023,Calhoun was traded to the Cleveland Guardians and immediately added to the major league roster. [32] In 43 games for Cleveland,he batted .217/.282/.376 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI. Calhoun became a free agent upon the conclusion of the 2023 season.
On March 15,2024,Calhoun announced his retirement from playing in an Instagram post. [33]
Calhoun and his wife,Jennifer,had a son in September 2016,and a daughter in May 2019. [34]
Calhoun grew up an Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals fan. [35]
Juan Luis Rivera is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jason James Kubel is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Indians.
Justin Irvin Upton is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Nicknamed "J-Up", he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, and Seattle Mariners. He was a teammate of his brother B. J. Upton with both the Braves and the Padres. While primarily a right fielder throughout his career, Upton later transitioned to left field with the Braves, Padres and Tigers.
Christopher Brandon Young is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.
Gerardo Enrique Parra is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder and current first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals, as well for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Parra is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and won the 2019 World Series as a member of the Nationals.
Aaron Michael Hicks is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels.
Randal Alexander Grichuk is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ender David Inciarte Montiel is a Venezuelan former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets. He made his MLB debut in 2014. He won the Fielding Bible Award in 2015, won the Gold Glove Award three times (2016–2018), and was an All-Star in 2017.
Christopher Scott Owings is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Owings has mostly played as a middle infielder and as an outfielder. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg), he bats and throws right-handed.
Abraham Almonte is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets.
Mitchell Evan Haniger is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.
Senger David Peralta Guerreiro is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres.
Cole Bryson Tucker is an American professional baseball shortstop and outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Angels.
Allen Lorenz "A. J." Pollock is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants.
Willie Shawn Lamont Calhoun is an American professional baseball left fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels.
Daulton John Varsho is an American professional baseball outfielder and catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Jordan Thomas Luplow is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins. He was drafted by the Pirates in the third round of the 2014 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut with them in 2017.
Michael Hermosillo is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs. Hermosillo was drafted by the Angels in the 28th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2018.
Timothy Donald Locastro is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, and New York Mets. He holds the MLB record for most consecutive successful stolen bases to start a career, with 29.
Gregory Stone Garrett is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks.