Aaron Hicks and Willie Calhoun are both beneficiaries of changes in scenery this season. Examples of how unpredictable, challenging, euphoric and emotionally-draining the sport of baseball can be. 

 

Aaron Hicks

Aaron Hicks is sending warning shots to the baseball world to put some respect on his name, as he has flipped the switch since joining Baltimore.

In 10 games since signing with the Orioles, Hicks is slashing .345/.472/1.058 with 10 hits, a homer, two doubles, four RBI and a stolen base.

 

 

Hicks was added to the roster after an oblique injury to their All-Star Cedric Mullins placed him on the shelf for the coming weeks.

 

“You may not get a great outcome on everything, but we see stuff with Aaron Hicks we like,” said Orioles General Manager Mike Elias.

“He is a good fit for us.  I hope this is a shot in the arm for him and I hope he helps us out and helps us win games.”

 

Since acquiring Hicks, Baltimore has taken a firm hold on the top wild card spot in the American League and with a 6-4 record over their last 10 games, they are starting to slowly gain separation from both New York and Toronto.

 

 

For Aaron Hicks, No More Bronx Baseball

 

 

His roller coaster ride as a Yankee ended on May 20th when he was Designated for Assignment after 8 years with the team. Hicks earned a 7-year $70 extension with the team in 2019, but never lived up to the expectations that came with a deal of that magnitude.

 

In the four years post signing, Hicks’ batting average never got above .235. He hit an abysmal .194 in 2021 then followed that up with just a .216 average last year.

This season in 76 plate appearances for the Yankees, Hicks hit .188 with a .263 on base percentage.

 

Whether it be the change in culture, the newfound freedom to grow facial hair or a freshly lit fire in his chest, he is showing people his early success in New York was no fluke.

 

Willie Calhoun

 

Willie Calhoun’s career resurrection as a Yankee was not something many expected to be in the bingo cards for 2023, but he has been giving the team life this season, showing a level of elite hitting scouts thought he could reach when he was a top ranked prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Willie Calhoun Holds The Keys To His Yankees Destiny

 

In his last 13 games Calhoun has 13 hits, five multi-hit games, two home runs and has driven in eight RBI.

 

 

“I am having a lot of fun,” Calhoun told MLBbro.com  “It is the same game and I am having a lot of fun in New York.  I have not made many adjustments, I am just trying to enjoy it as much as I can.”

 

With last year’s American League MVP Aaron Judge on the shelf, Calhoun is doing his best Judge impression and lately he has found his name as high as 3rd in the lineup.

 

“You are not going to fill the shoes Judge has on our team,” Calhoun told reporters.  “He is the capitan, he is the MVP but it is definitely a chance to get everyone to step up and chip away together to get this thing done.

 

This year Calhoun is batting .240 with a .705 OPS. He did have a scare when he was hit by Carlos Rodon in the elbow in a live BP session Sunday afternoon, but he did not miss a game.

 

Share This