Los Angeles Angels right fielders grades

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Kole Calhoun

Grade: B+

Coming into 2015, Calhoun was looking to build on a promising 2014 season in which he showed flashes of pop in his bat with 17 jacks. Calhoun kept his batting average over .280 until the last day of May, however, the Angels’ right fielder struggled to find his power swing early on.

The 28-year-old slugged just six homers through June, but started to find his groove in July and bounced back nicely to finish the season with 26 round trippers and 86 RBIs. Unfortunately, his batting average dipped as fast as his power came back, which resulted in him finishing with a .256 batting average and a team-high 164 strikeouts. However, Calhoun’s WAR of 3 is solid enough to make him the go-to guy next year.

Calhoun’s strong defensive ability and his powerful arm make him a valuable asset in the outfield. He has earned himself a nomination to win the Gold Glove Award with his 11 outfield assists and .989 fielding percentage. Calhoun is every bit as capable of making a highlight catch as center fielder Mike Trout, and the duo have made it very difficult for batters to find the gap between them.

With Calhoun playing in an American League-leading 157 games, not too many others got to patrol right field for the Angels. Others who got brief stints in right field during the 2015 season include David DeJesus, Efren Navarro, Matt Joyce, Shane Victorino, Dan Robertson, Collin Cowgill and Alfredo Marte. Most of those guys are also featured in the left fielder grades story.

It looks like Calhoun has truly made right field the Cal-zone! Calhoun will look to keep improving going into the 2016 season and bring the Angels back into the postseason. If he can avoid the hitting slump that brought his batting average down, Calhoun could be poised for another career year.