Kole Calhoun has breakout potential in 2014
With the news that Kole Calhoun is the leading candidate to bat leadoff for the Angels, Fantasy players should start taking a closer look at the 26-year-old, who hit .282 with eight home runs, seven doubles, and two steals in 58 games last season.
Calhoun had 29 plate appearances as the leadoff hitter in 2013, hitting .407 (with a .448 OBP) with four home runs and seven runs scored. And this was in a lineup that featured a struggling Josh Hamilton and was without three-time MVP Albert Pujols while Calhoun was playing. If Calhoun hits leadoff this season, it will be ahead of Mike Trout, Hamilton, and Pujols. There's a very good chance Calhoun scores over 100 runs this season, while putting together a solid batting average (a career .317 average in the minors) and flirting with 20 home runs. Calhoun also had three straight seasons of double-digit steals in the minors (he had 10 in 59 games before his 2013 call-up), so penciling him in for 10 stolen bases wouldn't be out of the question.
Even if he doesn't hit leadoff, Calhoun is a late-round bargain as he gets everyday at-bats in this lineup. But having three players with 16 All-Star appearances between them hitting behind him would be a huge boost to his value and could vault Calhoun into star territory this season, much like Matt Carpenter was thrust up several tiers with his 2013.
