Willie Calhoun, a former Rangers outfielder, is hoping to catch a good break with the Yankees. In 2019, Calhoun had an impressive season with 21 home runs, excellent contact abilities, and an OPS of .848. However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse when he suffered a broken jaw in March 2020 after being hit by a fastball from the Dodgers’ Julio Urias, and then a broken forearm caused by the Royals’ Kris Bubic in the following season. Calhoun spent much of 2022 with the Rangers and Giants, where he did not hit much in 22 major league games, and he said he was “banged up” during that time.
After the “freak” injuries, Calhoun signed with the Yankees as a non-roster invitee with an outside shot of earning a roster spot. In his first Grapefruit League game, he picked up a couple of hits and hopes to catch the Yankees’ attention during camp. The competition for left fielder is led by Aaron Hicks but also features Oswaldo Cabrera, Estevan Florial, and possibly Calhoun. The Yankees value hitters who make consistent contact, which is Calhoun’s strength, having only struck out 53 times in 337 plate appearances in 2019.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Calhoun’s great bat-to-ball skills and expressed optimism that his injuries have only derailed him temporarily. If Calhoun’s healthy bat returns, he could add another contact-based element to the Yankees’ lineup, and his 5-feet-8 height would make him one of the few “normally sized” outfielders on the team. Calhoun cited playing at Yankee Stadium and playing alongside Aaron Judge as motivators, and he signed with the Yankees because he wanted to “equal out” all the big guys.
»Willie Calhoun hopes to catch good break with the Yankees«
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