Kole Calhoun 2.0 Could Revive LA Angels

The LA Angels have witnessed one of the their most inconsistent seasons to date. The offense has been lacking, partly due to Kole Calhoun, who has recently made a return from the disabled list. Prior to his time off, he was the worst offensive player in the MLB, however, he may just be back to being Trout’s right hand man.

For years, the LA Angels had a black hole in left field. With Trout and Calhoun in center and right, respectively, the Angels never had a trifecta. That all changed when they traded then extended Justin Upton, giving them one of the best outfields in baseball going into the 2018 season. But then again, baseball can be unpredictable.

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Calhoun came out of the gate scorching hot, going 3-5 with a triple and home run on Opening Day. However, four games later, his average was below .200. It would stay there and eventually dip to .145 prior to his DL stint. However, a new and reborn Calhoun could be the missing piece to the Angels offense.

In his three games since returning, Calhoun is 4-10 with two home runs and one walk. While it is an incredibly small sample size, it is the best three game stretch of Calhoun’s season. A new batting stance could be the secret to his recent success, as Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) pointed out the change on Twitter.

The Angels have seen amazing production from Ian Kinsler recently, who also went through a severe slump earlier this season. However, over the past 21 games, he is hitting .292 with eight home runs and has turned into the ideal leadoff hitter for the Halos.

If Calhoun can hit at a .270 rate for the rest of the season, it could electrify the Halos bottom third of the lineup. With Martin Maldonado hitting a solid .250 (which is exceptional for a catcher with defense as elite as his), and Zack Cozart hitting .219, there needs to be some sense of consistency from the bottom of the order. Kole Calhoun can supply that, and it could lead to a lot more wins for the Halos.

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Maybe it’s just a coincidental three game stretch for Calhoun. Maybe he has figured everything out and is back to the 2016 version that hit .271 with a .348 on-base percentage. Either way, Calhoun has provided a spark the past few games, and he could for the rest of the season as the Angels chase the Seattle Mariners.