OC Register: Angels’ Kole Calhoun feels good despite another slow start

[AngelsWin.com]

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kole Calhoun is certain that he’s not having a repeat of 2018.

Although Calhoun was hitting .180 heading into Wednesday’s game, he does not have the same feeling as he had on his way to a .145 average in the first two months of last season.

“I am hitting the ball well,” Calhoun said. “I’m having some good at-bats, some bad at-bats. It’s still early. What have I got? Fifty or sixty at-bats? All I can do is hit the ball? Would I like some to fall in? Of course. But if I’m hitting the ball hard, I’m doing my job.”

Statcast has metrics that calculate a hitter’s expected numbers, based on the quality of his contact. Calhoun’s average is 44 points below expected and his slugging percentage is 100 points below.

His hard hit percentage, which measures the frequency of balls leaving the bat at 95 mph or higher, is 54.5. That ranks 26th in the major leagues. Last year it was 42.9 percent.

Calhoun’s average exit velocity of 93 mph is higher than his rate for any of the previous four seasons in which the data was collected.

“He’s hit the ball extremely hard,” Manager Brad Ausmus said. “He just has not been very lucky, so to speak.”

There is a natural assumption that Calhoun’s problem isn’t bad luck, but that his hard-hit balls are to the part of the field where the fielders are bunched.

Calhoun does face shifts often, but so far they have not been the reason for his low average. This season Calhoun has hit .318 when pulling the ball, compared with .182 when hitting it up the middle or to the left side.

Calhoun simply shrugs.

“I feel really good,” Calhoun said. “They’ll fall in. It seems like every time I try to force it and do more, it doesn’t go my way. All I can do is hit the ball hard, and whatever happens, happens.”

Calhoun also has the added confidence this year of working daily with hitting coaches Jeremy Reed and Shawn Wooten, who were the minor league instructors he credited most for helping him out of his tailspin last year.

“It’s awesome,” Calhoun said. “I think a lot of guys are learning a lot about their swings, things that get them into trouble and things that help.”

Calhoun believes the experience from last year – getting into and out of a career-threatening slump – has helped make him better prepared for the way he’s started this year.

“I think I was at a point where my career could have gone one or two ways,” Calhoun said. “This year hasn’t gone the way I wanted to, but I showed I can come back from something as tough as that was mentally. It’s not really getting off to the start I want, numbers-wise, but a lot of it is out of my control. I keep doing what I’m doing, and sooner or later they will fall.”

TROUT AT DH

Mike Trout was in the lineup at designated hitter for the third straight game Wednesday because his right groin is still not quite 100 percent.

“I feel better,” Trout said before Wednesday’s game. “Still a little achy. Obviously, I want to play center field, but it’s just day by day. If I come here and feel good and I think I can play center field, I play center field. That’s where I’m at right now.”

Trout said he took some fly balls in center on Tuesday afternoon and “just got achy a little bit after.”

Trout beat out an infield hit at an elite sprint speed of faster than 30 feet per second on Wednesday. Running in a straight line or around the bases is not as much an issue as the type of lateral or awkward movements that would be required in the outfield.

In the meantime, Trout is getting plenty of treatment, and each day he hopes to be back in the outfield.

Related Articles

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• Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs goes on IL with sprained ankle

“It’s getting better every day,” he said. “It’s not getting worse. That’s the big thing. My mindset is to play center field tomorrow. If I come in and it still bothers me, we’ll see how it goes.”

ALSO

Matt Thaiss, one of the Angels’ top prospects, was in the lineup at third base at Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday. Thaiss was a catcher in college, and he had not played a position besides first base in the Angels system. …

Starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs did long toss on Wednesday afternoon. Ausmus said Skaggs “feels really good.” The plan would be for him to throw a bullpen session within the next few days. The Angels are still hoping he’ll be able to rejoin the rotation as soon as he’s eligible, on April 23. …

The Angels have listed Chris Stratton, Félix Peña and Trevor Cahill for the first three games of this weekend’s series against the Seattle Mariners. They have not decided on their pitcher for Sunday, which would be Jaime Barría’s turn. Ausmus said it’s “to be determined” when Barría will pitch next.

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[AngelsHilo]

Nice.  Need Kole to have some of those hard hit balls fall in.  Need runners in front of Trout.  

[Angel Oracle]

His stats are weird, .300+ BA on pulled pitches and terrible on those hit straightaway and to the opposite field.  

With the shifts, how is that possible?    Small sample size and bad luck? 

[floplag]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

His stats are weird, .300+ BA on pulled pitches and terrible on those hit straightaway and to the opposite field.  

With the shifts, how is that possible?    Small sample size and bad luck? 

he has had some poor luck, but then so has most of the team.  Hes become the poster child for the angst  for whatever reason though. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

His stats are weird, .300+ BA on pulled pitches and terrible on those hit straightaway and to the opposite field.  

With the shifts, how is that possible?    Small sample size and bad luck? 

It’s possible because the balls he hits the hardest are the ones he pulls. Everybody wants hitters who pull the ball to just poke it the other way, but if you don’t hit it hard, those are outs too. And at best they’re singles. If you hit the ball hard you have a chance for doubles and homers too. 

That’s why players still hit the same way, even against shifts. 

[Docwaukee]

31 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It’s possible because the balls he hits the hardest are the ones he pulls. Everybody wants hitters who pull the ball to just poke it the other way, but if you don’t hit it hard, those are outs too. And at best they’re singles. If you hit the ball hard you have a chance for doubles and homers too. 

That’s why players still hit the same way, even against shifts. 

yes.  50+% hard hit rate when pulled vs. low 40's when up the middle or oppo.  

also, he's has a very high fly ball rate up the middle and oppo which doesn't bode well for balls dropping in.  

[Lou]

7 minutes ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

Lolz 

I agree 

[Angelsjunky]

Well, let's see. Hitting the ball hard doesn't always translate to results (see "Pujols, Albert"), and in the end, results are what matter.

Kole has a couple months for those hits to start dropping in. If they haven't when Upton gets back and Goodwin is still hitting, then Kole is on the bench.

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Well, let's see. Hitting the ball hard doesn't always translate to results (see "Pujols, Albert"), and in the end, results are what matter.

Kole has a couple months for those hits to start dropping in. If they haven't when Upton gets back and Goodwin is still hitting, then Kole is on the bench.

I hope that Goodwin can maintain his good fortune but it's likely Kole will have a better ops than him in about a month.  

[Angelsjunky]

13 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I hope that Goodwin can maintain his good fortune but it's likely Kole will have a better ops than him in about a month.  

That is probable, no doubt. I just don't have faith in Calhoun. 

[Lou]

15 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I hope that Goodwin can maintain his good fortune but it's likely Kole will have a better ops than him in about a month.  

I disagree 

[Taylor]

I'm glad he feels good, because we sure don't.

[Angel Oracle]

I just want to thank AJ for showing the younger crowd (not me unfortunately) how epic Oscar Gamble's fro was in the 1970s.

[TroutAdell]

With Ohtani and Upton out the Angels couldn’t afford for Calhoun to channel 2018. There are so many other holes in the lineup. Cozart is a waste, Bour has been awful. Once you get past Trout and Simmons the rest of the lineup is too weak to sustain the offense. Things look bleak right now when the offense is struggling and the starting pitching is nonexistent. 

[Troll Daddy]

One of my favorite players ... I’ll be rooting for him to make us all eat crow. 

[Lou]

3 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

One of my favorite players ... I’ll be rooting for him to make us all eat crow. 

by "us", I assume you mean us 66ers fans 

[UndertheHalo]

I mean it’s not gonna do him any good to feel bad.