Los Angeles Angels: Four players who will improve the most in 2018

Kole Calhoun

I am a pretty big fan of Kole Calhoun. At his best, Calhoun is a very solid outfielder offensively and defensively for the Los Angeles Angels. The biggest reason why Calhoun does not receive the love he deserves is that he is playing alongside the face of baseball himself, Mike Trout. However, Calhoun is still a great player and is very important for these Angels.

I mean, c’mon, Calhoun won a Gold Glove back in 2015, which is one of the few things Mike Trout hasn’t done. Calhoun has a smooth left-handed swing naturally finds the gaps with surprising pop. In his best season, 2016, Calhoun gave a nice mix of average and power. The right fielder hit .271 with 18 home runs and 75 RBIs.

The year before that Calhoun saw even more power in his swing. Calhoun blasted 26 home runs and 83 RBIs to the tune of a .256 batting average. The average was down, but the power numbers were up.

While 2017 saw Calhoun slug 19 home runs and drive in 71 RBIs, the batting average took a big dive. Calhoun hit just .244 last season, a career worst.

However, 2018 looks to be a different year for Calhoun. The always healthy and consistent Calhoun will likely rebound with so many new bats in the order. Putting great bats around already great bats is only a recipe for success. With better hitters hitting around Calhoun, pitchers will begin pitching more to Calhoun; like they did earlier in his career.