‘All my work paid off’: Calarco is the hitting the ball hard again with the Schaumburg Boomers
The art of hitting a baseball is traced on the bat’s path to the moving ball. Short and quick, or more extended for greater power — as long as the swing path to contact stays consistent. For Schaumburg Boomers infielder Anthony Calarco, finding that ideal path took time, but the numbers at the plate quickly followed.
Boasting career highs this season with a .329 batting average, .650 slugging percentage, and 1.065 OPS, Calarco tops the Boomers with 19 homers and 20 doubles. The all-star’s 81 RBI are on pace to break the Frontier League record. After a few seasons in affiliated baseball, Calarco’s numbers aim to reroute his track back toward MLB’s minor-league system.
“I’ve just locked down with a lot of positive talk,” said Calarco, who was born in Barrington but graduated from New Trier High School. “Just controlling what I can control, to be on time, and just hit the ball hard.”
Calarco played ball at Northwestern for four seasons, earning a first-team all-Big Ten nod in 2021. The first baseman transferred to Ole Miss for his final season and signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers in July 2023.
That summer, Calarco hit just .176 between two teams. Coming off an offseason hip surgery, Calarco said he lacked leg strength and a consistent move to the ball. But injuries aside, Calarco experienced a reality check.
“The biggest thing I learned was that I had a lot of work to do myself,” he said. “I had a lot to get better if I wanted to achieve my goals.”
After being released by the Rangers, Calarco signed with the Chicago Dogs before being traded to Evansville, where he was later released then signed by Schaumburg a week later. This year is Calarco’s second with the Boomers, and from opening day on, his swing felt on point. His home run total tops the Frontier League and he broke the franchise’s single-season RBI record in just 50 games.
“It feels like all my work paid off,” Calarco said. “I’m just trying to ride out this hot streak as long as I can. I had a lot of people help me get to this place.”
Crediting his parents, brother and hitting coaches Matt Swope and Charlie Tilson, Calarco is 20 RBI away from breaking the league record. He admitted it's cool to have a shot at history, but embraces the fact that RBI is a team stat. With teammates such as Michael Gould, Bren Spillane, and Alec Craig for flying around the basepaths, Calarco said his hits are only part of the success.
“Our biggest strength is our cohesiveness,” Calarco said. “I think we’re a team that really gets along. We have a lot of fun together. Just showing up to the yard every day, it's a lot of fun.”