Former Yankees Turn To International Baseball In Hopes Of MLB Return

The average career span of a Major League baseball player is roughly just over 5.5 years in the bigs. Only about 7% of players have reached and/or surpassed 10 years of service time.

For Luke Voit, his service time sits at 6 years and 30 days. For Willie Calhoun it is less than four years, despite appearing in major league games all the way back to 2017. That is due to him balancing time between the major and minor leagues, as he has appeared in just over two seasons’ worth of games.

Both Voit and Calhoun have three things in common: 1) They both played on the Yankees. 2) They both went unsigned in 2025 to a MLB team. 3) They both now play out of the United States in hopes for a comeback.

Voit and Calhoun were residing in the Mexican League, with hopes of a major league comeback. The former Yankees were teamed up on the Tigres de Quintana Roo team, being part of what is so far a losing 18-33 season.

Voit, 34, appeared in 41 games, hitting 12 home runs thus far and walking 24 times to contribute to a 1.015 OPS, also hitting .314 with 26 RBIs. Voit signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the NPB on June 2nd, as he goes around the globe to help the fifth place Eagles. 

30-year-old Calhoun has appeared in 44 games, but has recorded fewer plate appearances and at-bats than Voit. Overall, Calhoun is hitting .250 with 4 home runs and has only struck out 15 times on the season, in what is so far a .714 OPS campaign.

For Voit, his days are numbered in the majors at 34-years-old, but like many, a spark in Japan could lead him to at least a minor league offer in time for spring training in 2026.

 Meanwhile, Calhoun, who is essentially a full-time DH in the majors, has always posted underwhelming stats for a player whose game is built entirely around his bat. Age is on Calhoun’s side at only 30-years-old, but he would have to tear up the LMB if he wants to get back in the majors, as there are far more players who can be full-time DH’s and put up a better slash line.

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