Willie Calhoun #26

Willie Shawn Lamont Calhoun... Nickname is June (short for Junior)... Father, Willie Sr., is a corrections officer at San Quentin State Prison in California... Honored by Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of BBWAA as the 2019 recipient of the Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award... Participated in numerous community events during time with Rangers organization, including workouts at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy in Dallas…Served as honorary chair for annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit Cowboy Santas and the Rangers Academy youngsters…Participated in hospital visits, the Rangers Winter Caravan, and the Comerica Peek at the Park event in January 2020...Also participated in the Jose Trevino Toy Drive Classic in November 2021... Graduated from Benicia HS (Benicia, CA)... Began collegiate career at University of Arizona before transferring to Yavapai College (Prescott, Ariz.)...Played one season at Yavapai and led Arizona Community College Athletic Conference in hits (98), runs (93), HR (31), RBI (85), total bases (216) and OBP (.520)... Originally signed by Dodgers scout Dustin Yount.

2023

Contract selected by Yankees April 8, following five games with Triple-A Scranton to begin the season... Made first start for NYY on April 10 at Cleveland, recorded his first hit as a Yankee... Made his first career Major League appearance in right field on April 13 vs. Minnesota... Homered in back-to-back games for the third time in his career from May 2-3 (also May 15-16, 2019 and Aug. 23-24, 2019 with Texas)... Reached base in eight straight games from May 21-30, hitting .357/.438/.500 (10/28) with six runs, four doubles, four walks, and four RBI over that span... Recorded multiple hits in three straight games for the second time in his career from May 28-30 (also three games from May 15-17, 2019)... Was placed on Yankees 10-day injured list with a left quad strain June 22…Appeared in six rehab games with Double-A Somerset…Returned from rehab, reinstated from injured list and designated for assignment July 28.

2022

Began the season with the Rangers, hitting .136 (6-for-44) with seven runs, three doubles, one HR, two RBI and eight BB in 18 games… was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on 5/2 and hit .217 (18-for-83) with 18 R, one double, five HR, 20 RBI and six BB in 21 games…was acquired by the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Steven Duggar on 6/23…in 42 games with Triple-A Sacramento, hit .291 (43-for-148) with 24 R, nine doubles, five HR, 23 RBI and 19 BB…played in four games with the Giants (1-for-8, 1RBI, 1BB)…was designated for assignment on 9/18.

2021

Calhoun was limited to 75 G in a second straight injury-riddled campaign, his 5th season in the Majors with Texas… posted .691 OPS, his 2nd-highest mark in any ML season to date…batted leadoff in 32 of 67 starts, 2nd-most on club (86-Kiner-Falefa)…hit both TEX leadoff HR in ’21 (5/13 at HOU and 10/2 vs. CLE), the latter being the only leadoff HR ever at Globe Life Field (any batter, reg. or postseason)…that HR also snapped career-long 45-G (w/ AB) HR drought from 5/18-10/1.

2020

 Limited to 29 games in an injury-shortened campaign, his 4th straight season in the Majors with Texas…posted a .245/.297/.430/.726 slash line, each accounting for the lowest figure in each category in any ML season in his career… his .491 OPS was 2nd-lowest in MLB (min. 100 AB) to only LAA’s Jo Adell (.478)…batted .172 (10-58) in 18 G prior to IL placement…after going hitless in 2 G following his return, posted a .265/.324/.382/.707 (9-34) slash line with one HR and 5 RBI in his final 9 G to finish the season…hit only home run and recorded season-high 3 RBI on 9/24 vs. HOU…batted .368 (719) vs. LHP in small sample, and .148 (12-81) vs. RHP…batted .250 (8-32) with RISP…had 29 games/25 starts at DH (19) and in LF (6), one start in LF (9/20 at LAA) after return from IL…made an Opening Day roster for the 1st time.

2019

Posted career highs in nearly every category including games (83), home runs (21), and RBI (48) during 2 stints with the Rangers: 5/15-7/15 and 7/25-end of season...beginning 7/26 (1st game of 2nd stint), Calhoun led Texas in home runs (16) and runs (36), while ranking 2nd in hits (57), RBI (tied-35) and doubles (tied-9)…the 16 HR during that span were T6thmost in the A.L…on injured list from 5/22-6/16 with a left quad strain, the 1st IL stint of his career…appeared in 83 games and made 76 total starts (69 in LF, 7 as DH)…Texas went 39-37 in his 76 starts…reached base safely in 66 of 76 starts with Texas, including 15 straight to begin the season…batted .290 (60-207) vs. RHP and .225 (23-102) vs. LHP…no SO in 35 straight PA's, 8/11-19, tying Jurickson Profar (35 PA from 6/12-20/18) for longest run by a Ranger in last 2 seasons…named Rangers Player of the Month for August after batting .250/.288/.548/.836 with a team-high 9 HR and 16 RBI in 28 games…his 9 HR that month ranked T4th in the A.L.

2018

Saw action in 35 games/26 starts for Texas in his 2nd straight season with big league time, setting career highs in most categories…had 2 stints with the Rangers: 7/20-8/15 and 9/4-end of season…hit .192 (5-26) in 1st 8 G through 7/27 after he was called up on 7/20 when Nomar Mazara went on the DL…batted .326 (14-43) over final 14 G of 1st stint (optioned on 8/16 when Mazara was activated) to bring season BA to .275…went 3-for-30 in 13 G/8 GS in September…his 26 starts came in LF (25) and as DH (1)…had a .950 (2 E/40 TC) fielding pct. in LF…was 7-for-21 (.333) with RISP and batted .192 (15-78) in all other at-bats…went 3-for-9 as a pinchhitter, posting tie-breaking RBI single on 7/30 at ARI and 2-out RBI single on 9/19 vs. TB.

2017

Was acquired from the Dodgers at the trade deadline and made his major league debut in September...was 9-for-34 (.265) in his 1st major league action, starting 9 of the club's final 19 contests and appearing in 13 games overall…spent the majority of the season at Oklahoma City (AAA) in the Dodgers organization and also logged time at Round Rock following the trade…was named to the Pacific Coast League Postseason All-Star Team, along with spots on the Yahoo! Sports All-Minor League Team and Baseball America's Minor League All-Star Second Team.

TEXAS // Did not join club following the conclusion of Round Rock's season, but had contract purchased on 9/12 while working out at the team facility in Arizona…appeared in team's first 5 games following promotion, including starts in 4 of 5… collected RBI in 1st ML PA on 9/12 vs. SEA off Marco Gonzales and then went 0-for-next-15…started each of the club's final 5 games, going 8-for-18 (.444) with a HR, 3 RBI, and BB…had 13 G/9 GS (8-LF, 1-DH) overall…1st ML HR on 9/27 vs. HOU (off Justin Verlander), also 1st career multi-hit game.

MINORS // Combined to bat .300 (146-486) with 27 2B, 6 3B, 31 HR, and 93 RBI over 128 G with Round Rock and Oklahoma City…entered the season as the 9th-youngest player in the PCL…finished the season ranked among the PCL leaders in total bases (2nd, 278), extra-base hits (3rd, 64), home runs (T4th, 31), and RBI (5th, 93)…was the 9th-toughest batter to strikeout in the PCL, averaging a strikeout every 8.0 at-bats… reached base safely in 107 of 128 games played…batted .298/.357/.574/.931 over 99 games with Oklahoma City prior to the trade…hit .268/.311/.495/.806 in 25 games with Round Rock in August, his only full month with a sub-.285 average… had multiple hits in each of his final 4 games with the Express, going 9-for-16 (.563) with 2 HR and 10 RBI.

2016

Selected as Texas League mid- and post-season AllStar at Tulsa (AA)...led the league in RBI (88) and total bases (236), and ranked among the league leaders in homers (2nd, 27), extra-base hits (T3rd, 53) and hits (9th, 128)...participated in the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game and was also named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star…honored as Texas League Player of the Week twice in the periods ending 5/29 and 6/12... batted .255 with a double, a homer and 6 RBI for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League…selected to the league's Rising Stars Game and was honored as the game's MVP after going 3-for-3 with a homer and 3 RBI.

2015

Posted a .316/.390/.519 slash line with 23 doubles, 11 HR and 48 RBI in a combined 73 games with Ogden (S-A), Great Lakes (A), and Rancho Cucamonga (A+) in his first professional season...named a Pioneer League mid-season All-Star with the Ogden Raptors.