Willie Calhoun

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #1 prospect in 2018
  The Rays drafted Calhoun in the 17th round of the 2013 draft, but he opted to go to college instead. He played his freshman year at Arizona, then went to the Cape Cod League that summer. He returned to campus in the fall, but after being dismissed for academic reasons, Calhoun transferred to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC in 2015 and led all junior college hitters with 31 home runs. After the season, Calhoun signed with the Dodgers for $347,500 as a fourth-round pick and immediately showed his bat would translate. In 2017, Calhoun was continuing to rake at Triple-A when the Dodgers dealt him to the Rangers as the centerpiece of the Yu Darvish trade. He stayed in the Pacific Coast League after the trade, then made his big league debut as a September callup. Calhoun has a smaller, stocky frame, but frequent reminders he's too small or too slow help fuel his motivation. Calhoun is one of the most talented hitting prospects in game, with an outstanding combination of barrel control and power. He has great rhythm and balance in the batter's box, quick hands and powerful hip rotation. He has good hand-eye coordination and a compact swing that stays on plane through the hitting zone for a long time. He has great plate coverage, with little problem handling premium velocity or barreling breaking pitches. He seldom swings and misses and struck out just 11 percent of the time at Triple-A. He hit 32 home runs in 2017 and could be a 35-plus home run threat in the big leagues. Calhoun's stature gives him a smaller strike zone to cover, and he doesn't expand it by chasing much. He tried playing second base with the Dodgers, but he's a well below-average runner with a below-average arm who didn't show much range at the position and often struggled to make routine plays. Calhoun showed some signs of progress in 2017, but in June the Dodgers started getting him work in left field. After joining the Rangers, Calhoun played left field almost exclusively. The Rangers still plan to give Calhoun reps at second base, but Rougned Odor will force him to develop into an adequate left fielder. Calhoun will either DH or give away some runs with his defense, but he will create plenty of them with his bat. He's ready for an everyday job in Texas.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #5 prospect in 2017
  After a season at Arizona, Calhoun transferred to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC in 2015 and led the nation's jucos with 31 home runs in 61 games. The Dodgers pushed him to Double-A Tulsa for his first full season and he ranked second in the league in homers (27) with the second-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters. Small and stocky, Calhoun is built like a fire hydrant. He has a sweet, balanced lefty stroke that's quick, compact and stays through the hitting zone for a long time. He has excellent barrel control and good plate coverage, leading to a high contact rate, with a sharp eye at the plate. Calhoun is no small slap hitter. He has above-average power and gets to it frequently because of his contact frequency, making him a threat to hit 25-30 home runs. As gifted as Calhoun is at the plate, he's a long way from being an adequate defender at second base. He's a well below-average runner with limited range and first-step quickness and a below-average arm. He also boots too many routine plays with hard hands and awkward defensive actions. Calhoun could be the Dodgers' second baseman of the future, but his fielding has to take a big step forward to avoid a move to left field.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #13 prospect in 2016
  Calhoun spent a season at Arizona before transferring to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, in 2015, when he led all Division I juco batters with 31 home runs in 61 games. Much of that power is a product of an extreme offensive environment, but Calhoun is a standout hitter in any context. After signing for $347,500 as a fourth-round pick, he raked at three levels of pro ball, which culminated in 20 games at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Short and stocky, Calhoun may not look the ideal part, but he is a gifted lefthanded batter. He's a natural, balanced hitter. He generates quick bat speed without getting out of position, taking a direct cut to the ball and keeping the barrel through the hitting zone to stay on plane with the ball for a long time. With his swing, hand-eye coordination and approach, he walked nearly as many times as he struck out in his debut, a trend that should continue. He has surprising power for his size, mostly to his pull side, but he has a chance to crack 15-plus homers. Calhoun's defense is a concern. He has decent hands but doesn't have great quickness and will need to improve his jumps and angles to be able to avoid moving to left field. Sharing some similarities with Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella, Calhoun could move quickly if he can bring his defense along.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #147 prospect in 2015 draft
  After one nondescript season at Arizona, Calhoun transferred to Yavapai JC, where he's been anything but nondescript. After not homering in 46 games with the Wildcats, Calhoun led all Division I junior college hitters with 31 homeruns in 61 games this spring and helped the Roughriders to the Junior College World Series. Yavapai plays its home games in an extreme hitters environment, but Calhoun's bat was nearly as destructive on the road as it was at home in Roughrider Park. Listed at 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Calhoun isn't a big, physical specimen, but brings a short stroke and quick bat to the plate. His power is mostly to his pull side and he finds a way to turn on pitches he can hit. The big question is where he'll play in the field. Second base is his preferred position but he hasn't dedicated himself to getting better there, and instead could wind up in left field here his average arm will play.
• Ranked #386 prospect in 2013 draft
  Calhoun is undersized at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, but scouts love his bat. His tightly wound build produces a fast swing from the left side and scouts project him as an above-average hitter. He never gives at-bats away and has a professional approach at the plate. He has sneaky pull-side power but won't be a home run threat. Defensively, Calhoun is limited to second base. He is a below-average runner with average arm strength and has been working with former minor league Tim Wallace to clean up his footwork and improve as a defender. If Calhoun doesn't sign, he is committed to Arizona.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #8 prospect in 2018
  The Rangers sent Calhoun back to Triple-A to work on his defense and he didn’t take it well. He displayed a poor effort much of the season, performed worse at the plate and left observers disappointed with his overall play. The thing is, he still hit. Even with a hyper-aggressive approach and a concerning amount of all-or-nothing swings, Calhoun still posted three hitting streaks of at least 10 games and was the fifth-toughest hitter to strike out in the PCL. He received a big league callup in July and again in September. “He’s still a tough out, still a guy who can hit,” New Orleans manager Arnie Beyeler said. “It makes a difference when you see him if he wants to play or if he doesn’t. He’s still one of the more premier hitters in the league, a dangerous guy.” Calhoun still has a lot of work to do defensively in left field. He catches what he gets to, but his range is extremely limited and opponents freely take the extra base on his below-average arm.
• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #15 prospect in 2017
  With a quick, compact swing, Calhoun packs a lot of power and muscle into his 5-foot-8 frame, and he doesn't have to sacrifice contact to access his power. The Dodgers traded him to the Rangers in July as the headlining prospect for Yu Darvish. Calhoun bashed 31 home runs at his two PCL stops this season, one year after hitting 27 at Double-A. He has enough feel for the barrel and using the middle of the field to yield an average hit tool. Calhoun's problem is finding a defensive home. His hands are too hard for second base, and he's too short for first base, so left field is going to be his path forward. He shows average range and athleticism in the outfield.
• 
  Ranked Texas League #16 prospect in 2016
  The hit tool is the most important tool a position prospect can have, and Calhoun has a long track record of putting the bat on the ball stretching back to high school. He also was one of the better home-run hitters in the TL even though numerous players have more raw power. Calhoun has already learned that at 375-foot home run counts as much as a 450-footer. What scouts can't figure out is where Calhoun will play. He is a hard-handed second baseman who struggles to field the ball cleanly. His below-average arm also limits him at second base and also limits his other defensive options. He could go back to left field, but he has limited range as a 40 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. First base isn't an option because he's 5-foot-8. Calhoun's bat provides value, but he has a lot of work to do to find a position.
• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #11 prospect in 2015
  Calhoun spent one season at Arizona before moving on to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, where he led all juco players with 31 home runs in 61 games. While skeptics aren't yet sold on his approach at the plate and his smaller, unathletic build, Calhoun just keeps raking. After smashing seven homers in 38 games and posting an .888 OPS in the Pioneer League, he kept hitting as he moved up to two Class A stops. Calhoun brings a short stroke and quick bat to the plate, with pull-side power and strong contact skills. He knows what pitches he wants to hit and will wait for something he can pull. "He has made adjustments so far at every level," Ogden manager John Shoemaker said. Calhoun is a liability on defense right now--he made 18 errors in 65 games at second base--but the Dodgers are committed to giving him a chance to develop. He catches balls hit right to him but needs to read swings to get better jumps on the ball and take proper angles. He's a well below-average runner but would bring an average arm to the outfield if he must move.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #36 prospect in 2018
• Ranked Baseball America's #92 prospect in 2017

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Calhoun had established himself as one of the best hitters in the minors coming into the year, but he didn’t look like it early in the season. Calhoun appeared to be pressing, perhaps trying to do too much to force his way up to the big leagues. Since mid-June, Calhoun has settled in, appearing more like the future middle-of-the-order masher he looked like last year, a role he will have to fill given his defensive limits. He’s getting another chance in Texas to prove what he can do.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Rays drafted Calhoun in the 17th round of the 2013 draft, but he opted to go to college instead. He played his freshman year at Arizona, then went to the Cape Cod League that summer. He returned to campus in the fall, but after being dismissed for academic reasons, Calhoun transferred to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC in 2015 and led all junior college hitters with 31 home runs. After the season, Calhoun signed with the Dodgers for $347,500 as a fourth-round pick and immediately showed his bat would translate to pro ball. In 2017, Calhoun was continuing to rake at Triple-A when the Dodgers dealt him to the Rangers as the centerpiece of the Yu Darvish trade. He made his big league debut as a September call-up. Scouting Report: Calhoun has a smaller, stocky frame, but frequent reminders he's too small or too slow help fuel his motivation. Calhoun is one of the most talented hitting prospects in game, with an outstanding combination of barrel control and power. He has great rhythm and balance in the batter's box, quick hands and powerful hip rotation. He has good hand-eye coordination and a compact swing that stays on plane through the hitting zone for a long time. He has great plate coverage, with little problem handling premium velocity or barreling breaking pitches. He seldom swings and misses and struck out just 11 percent of the time at Triple-A. He hit 32 home runs in 2017 and could be a 35-plus home run threat in the big leagues. Calhoun's stature gives him a smaller strike zone to cover, and he doesn't expand it by chasing much. He tried playing second base with the Dodgers, but he's a well below-average runner with a below-average arm who didn't show much range at the position and often struggled to make routine plays. Calhoun showed some signs of progress in 2017, but in June the Dodgers started getting him work in left field. After joining the Rangers, Calhoun played left field almost exclusively. The Future: The Rangers still plan to give Calhoun reps at second base, but Rougned Odor will force him to develop into an adequate left fielder. Calhoun will either DH or give away some runs with his defense, but he will create plenty of them with his bat. He's ready for an everyday job in Texas.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: After a season at Arizona, Calhoun transferred to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC in 2015 and led the nation's jucos with 31 home runs in 61 games. The Dodgers pushed him to Double-A Tulsa for his first full season and he ranked second in the league in homers (27) with the second-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters. Scouting Report: Small and stocky, Calhoun is built like a fire hydrant. He has a sweet, balanced lefty stroke that's quick, compact and stays through the hitting zone for a long time. He has excellent barrel control and good plate coverage, leading to a high contact rate, with a sharp eye at the plate as well. Calhoun is no small slap hitter. He has above-average power and gets to it frequently because of his contact frequency, making him a threat to hit 25-30 home runs. As gifted as Calhoun is at the plate, he's a long way from being an adequate defender at second base. He's a well below-average runner with limited range and first-step quickness and a below-average arm. He also boots too many routine plays with hard hands and awkward defensive actions.
  
  The Future: Calhoun could be the Dodgers' second baseman of the future, but his fielding has to take a big step forward to avoid a move to left field. That should be his focus at Triple-A in 2017.