Calhoun eyes spot in OF mix
TAMPA — With the Yankees, Willie Calhoun hopes he will catch a break.
The good kind, that is. Back in 2019, the then-Rangers outfielder emerged as a young, impressive left fielder, with good pop (21 home runs), great contact abilities and an excellent .848 OPS.
Then the bad breaks began. In March 2020, it was a broken jaw after he was struck in the side of the face with a fastball from the Dodgers’ Julio Urias. A season later, it was the Royals’ Kris Bubic who broke his forearm with a pitch.
Calhoun said he was “banged up” for much of 2022, which he spent with the Rangers and Giants, with whom he did not hit much in 22 major league games.
After the “freak” injuries, he signed with the Yankees as an intriguing non-roster invitee who has an outside shot of hitting his way to a roster spot.
“The last healthy year I had when I was able to play and they threw me out there was in 2019 … that’s when I was at my best,” the 28-year-old said after making his spring debut Sunday. “Going into the offseason, it really motivated me to get back to where I wanted to be.”
In his first two Grapefruit League games, Calhoun picked up three hits to begin what he hopes will be a camp that catches the Yankees’ attention. The Yankees did not add a proven left fielder this offseason, which has led to a competition that is led by Aaron Hicks but also features Oswaldo Cabrera, Estevan Florial and perhaps Calhoun.
The Yankees value hitters who make consistent contact, which has always been Calhoun’s strength. In that 2019 season, he struck out just 53 times in 337 plate appearances and drew 23 walks.
“He can hit,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees played the Tigers at Steinbrenner Field on Monday night. “I remember seeing him for the first time, whenever it was a couple years ago, and he’s got great bat-to-ball skills, so I knew about it. The injuries ... kind of derailed him a little bit.”
They led to an uncertain offseason in which Calhoun looked around the league and was happy the Yankees called.