ASU in the Pros Series: Angels OF Kole Calhoun

For most casual baseball fans, the words “Angels’ outfielder” brings one name to mind, Mike Trout. And were it not for the five-time all-star with a career WAR of 51.0 through just five full seasons, there would be another name catching some attention, Kole Calhoun.

Calhoun, a 2015 Gold Glove winner for his efforts in right field, has a career .261 BA with a solid .751 OPS. With his fantastic glove combined with his solid work at the plate Calhoun is looking to be worth all of the $26 million the Angels committed to him when they signed him to a three-year deal with a club option in 2020 this past offseason.

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

A native of Buckeye, Ariz., Calhoun played at Arizona State for two years after transferring from Yavapai Community College. It only took two years, however, for Calhoun’s impact to truly be felt by the Sun Devils.

Time at ASU

2009: 64 GP, .313 BA, .583 SLG%, .487 OBP%, 42 BB, 54 R, 17 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, .940 FLD%

2010: 61 GP, .321 BA, .616 SLG%, .478 OBP%, 64 BB, 61 R, 11 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 59 RBI, .970 FLD%

Calhoun was an honorable mention for All-Pac-10 honors his junior year, and just a year later was named All-Pac-10 to go along with All-West Region honors from the ABCA.

Time in the Pros

The Los Angeles Angels selected Calhoun as the 264^th overall pick in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB draft. Calhoun debuted in 2012 season with the Angels in a limited role, but since then, he has never hit below .256 in a given season.

His past three seasons have been particularly impressive, notching at least 134 hits each year (including back-to-back 161 hit campaigns in 2015 and 2016) for a combined batting average of .266, 259 runs, and 61 home runs on top of that.

At just 29, Calhoun still has plenty of playing years in front of him in Los Angeles and wherever else baseball takes him.