The Rangers and Willie Calhoun disagree on how Calhoun should swing the bat. We know this because their discord went public Sunday.
Both sides presented their positions after Texas optioned Calhoun to Triple-A Round Rock following the team's home win over Atlanta. The outfielder/DH left Arlington after posting a .136/.283/.273 slash line and one home run in 53 plate appearances this season.
Calhoun told The Athletic that he was not on board with what the team's new hitting staff wants him to do, or with what Texas has wanted him to become since acquiring him from the Dodgers in 2017 as part of the Yu Darvish trade.
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"I don't agree with some of the hitting philosophies from the new guys," Calhoun told The Athletic's Levi Weaver. He doesn't see himself as being capable of doing what the staff wants: launch the ball more and hit for more power.
"I'm not 6-4, 230 pounds; I can’t hit pop-up home runs. I don’t have that leverage," the 5-8, 200-pound Calhoun told Weaver.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward told reporters (per The Athletic) that the team has been trying to get Calhoun to be "a little more vertical with his swing," meaning more launch angle. Woodward said that he and the staff saw Calhoun reverting to his old swing, with more hitting down on the ball and more balls being pulled on the ground.
"This is what we feel is best for Willie, and for the team," Woodward said of the change to a power swing, per The Athletic.
Tim Hyers is the Rangers' hitting coach and Seth Conner is his assistant. Donnie Ecker is the team's offensive coordinator. All were hired in the offseason. But Calhoun said the conflict goes back to when he joined the organization. The Rangers, in his mind, have always wanted him to change from the "line drive-doubles guy" he was in the minor leagues to a power hitter.
How has Willie Calhoun's offensive production changed since joining the Rangers?
Calhoun, 27, hit 21 home runs for Texas in 2019, but that season appears to be a distant outlier when compared with the rest of his MLB career, which began in 2017, and his time in the Dodgers' chain.
Home run rate
| SPLIT | PA | HR | RATE |
| 2019 w/TEX | 337 | 21 | 6.23 |
| All other MLB seasons | 590 | 11 | 1.86 |
| Minor leagues w/LAD | 1620 | 61 | 3.77 |
Extra-base hit rate
| SPLIT | PA | XBH | RATE |
| MLB | 927 | 71 | 7.66 |
| Minor leagues w/LAD | 1620 | 140 | 8.64 |
Strikeout rate
| SPLIT | PA | SO | RATE |
| MLB | 927 | 141 | 15.21 |
| Minor leagues w/LAD | 1620 | 127 | 7.84 |
Average launch angle (MLB)
| YEAR | AVG (IN DEGREES) |
| 2017 | 3.0 |
| 2018 | 11.6 |
| 2019 | 17.6 |
| 2020 | 14.4 |
| 2021 | 14.9 |
| 2022 | 12.6 |
(Average launch angle figures per Statcast.)
It should be noted that health could be a factor. Calhoun has been on the injured list for a quad strain, a hamstring strain and a broken wrist (the result of being hit by a pitch) in his career. He suffered a broken jaw in 2020 when he was hit by a Julio Urias pitch in spring training, but the injury did not require an IL stint.
What's next for Willie Calhoun?
Even if health were a mitigating factor, Calhoun is resisting the Rangers' coaching. He told The Athletic that he wants to be traded and is hoping a hot streak at Triple-A will get him dealt.
General manager Chris Young said that Calhoun can get back up to Arlington if he performs at a high level for Round Rock. The team's hope is that he rakes while swinging it the way the organization wants him to.
