When the topic of Los Angeles Angels sleeper was brought up in the Fantasy Source office, a few names came up.
Perhaps Tyler Skaggs will break out now that he's out of Arizona and destined for more innings in a pitcher-friendly park. Or maybe Hector Santiago ’s peripherals will improve to make him a more reliable option. There could even be consideration for David Freese having a bounce-back campaign in a new environment.
But in the end, sometimes your first thought is your best. And ours was of outfielder Kole Calhoun.
A 26-year-old lefthanded hitter taken in the eighth round of the 2010 draft, Calhoun has never been considered a top prospect. He's wasn't in our Top 50 Prospects rankings last year; Fangraphs’ prospect writer Marc Hulet ranked him No. 12 in the Angels’ system coming into the 2013 season; and Minor League Ball’s John Sickels ranked Calhoun seventh in the system.
But Calhoun has always gotten on base well in the minors. Only once in his minor league tenure did he post a sub-.400 OBP. That was his first trip to Triple-A back in 2012 when he “only” slashed 298/.369/.507 with 14 homers and 12 steals in 105 games. Last season he repeated the level with a vengeance, batting .354/.431/.617 with 12 homers and 10 steals in 59 games. But his tools were always considered limited and Calhoun struggled during his cup of coffee in '12 when he batted just .174 in 25 plate appearances with the Angels.
Things went better when Calhoun got the call in ’13. In 58 games with the big club, he slashed 282/.346/.462 while hitting eight homers and stealing two bases. The steals were a modest disappointment since he swiped at least 10 bases in his three minor league stops above rookie ball, but overall, that is something to build on.
Still, we’re left with a guy who has exceeded scouts' expectations and has played just 79 big league games. We also have to face the fact his Triple-A lines came at Salt Lake City, which is friendly to hitters, especially lefties, and the Pacific Coast League in general is very hitter-friendly.
But Calhoun’s numbers are still impressive, even adjusted. And we can’t discount the big league numbers. He’s not going to be Mike Trout , but if he batted .270 with around 20 homers and 10 steals, that would give him solid fantasy value. Both numbers seem attainable if he gets the full 162-game complement. He also has shown a solid walk rate and has struck out at less than a 20-percent clip at every minor league stop. Contact has not been an issue.
There are also reports Calhoun could start out the year in the Angels' leadoff spot. That would certainly bump his immediate fantasy value. Hopefully his lack of prospect hype leaves him just below the fantasy radar in a lot of leagues. He has the potential to provide solid, late-round contributions in at least four of the five categories roto categories.