Willie Calhoun Seizes The Moment Hitting Cleanup For Ron Washington’s LA Angels

MLBbro outfielder Willie Calhoun has bounced around from the minors to various big league teams throughout his career. He’s now looking to make an impact in his first season with the Los Angeles Angels led by manager Ron Washington.

 

The Angels signed Calhoun to a minor league contract in December of 2023. Earlier this month, Los Angeles selected Calhoun’s contract from the Salt Lake Bees. He made his debut with the Angels on May 3 and put together an impressive performance against the Cleveland Indians.

 

Willie Calhoun Swinging A Hot Bat For LA Angels 

 

The 29-year-old went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run scored. He hit in the cleanup spot during that game and manager Ron Washington had an interesting way of putting him there.

 

 

“I took some names and put them in a hat and shook them up and he came out fourth,” Washington said. “Seriously. You think I’m joking.”

 

He actually went on to explain that he wrote names on paper and threw them on his bed. Jo Adell and Logan O’Hoppe were also named on the paper too.

 

Adell and O’Happe have displayed some power at the plate this season, but Washington did not want them to have that responsibility hitting in the cleanup spot.

 

“They’re too young,” Washington said. “I tried putting Adell in the top of the lineup and it lasted a day. I tried putting (Zach) Neto in the top of the lineup and it lasted two days. I’m not going to take O’Hoppe and put him in the fourth hole. I’ll hit him fifth or sixth, but for some reason when you put them in one of those spots, they think they’ve got to be special and they don’t. They really don’t. They’ve just got to be who they are. If you can give us base hits there, I’ll take it. You can give us doubles there, I’ll take it. I’m not looking for home runs because I don’t have that kind of team.”

 

Ron Washington Puts Willie Calhoun In Cleanup Spot 

 

Putting Calhoun in the cleanup proved to be a smart move based on his performance.

 

 

The California native started his 2024 season with a five-game hitting streak and through 10 games, he has a .297 average with a home run and a .541 slugging percentage. Calhoun has a lot of talent and there’s a reason the Angels signed him. He has the opportunity to be a vital player and stay on the roster throughout the remainder of the season.

 

 

Willie Calhoun Had A Productive 2023

Last season, Calhoun appeared in 44 games with the New York Yankees and hit .239 with five home runs. There were moments last season where he had some production at the plate for New York, but ultimately the Yankees sent him down to the minors in July. Calhoun has spent most of his career with the Texas Rangers, where he made his MLB debut in 2017.

 

He bounced around from the minors and the Rangers during his time there and also dealt with multiple injuries. After his time with the Rangers, he had a brief stint with the San Francisco Giants during the 2022 season.

 

 

It’s not easy having success in this league, but Calhoun is determined to prove that he belongs.