ARLINGTON -- Outfielder Willie Calhoun did not steal a base for the Rangers last season and had just one during his time at Triple-A Nashville.

So it made an impression on the 25-year-old Calhoun when he saw that Shin-Soo Choo, who is 12 years older, stole 15 bases for the Rangers in 2019.

“I can do that,” Calhoun told manager Chris Woodward at the end of the season. “I’m probably faster than Choo right now.”

“Yeah,” Woodward responded. “But Choo is really smart when he runs.”

Choo, 37, is also fanatically dedicated to his conditioning program.

“I’m always worried there is some young player who is going to try and take my job away,” Choo said.

The unspoken possibility is Calhoun could be that young player. Calhoun put himself in position to do that with a terrific offseason program last winter. Now the Rangers eagerly await to see if Calhoun can build on that and what kind of impact it will have on their lineup next season.

It is one of those significant unknown factors the Rangers must consider as they put together their team for 2020.

“I think he is in a position where he can add to what he has done already,” Woodward said. “He is committed to working, He can’t wait to get going. He has talked about things he wants to do, increase his speed is a big one. He wants to keep his strength and mobility and the things he’s worked on and maybe add to it.”

Calhoun can swing the bat. The Rangers knew that when he was one of three players acquired from the Dodgers for Yu Darvish on July 31, 2017. But there were other questions. Could he play defense? Could he run? Could he get himself into the kind of peak physical conditioning it takes to play in the big leagues?

Calhoun made a major statement in one regard last winter. He lost weight and reported to Spring Training in much better shape. The Rangers were deeply impressed even though he didn’t make the team out of camp.

The Rangers were stacked in the outfield with Choo, Nomar Mazara, Delino DeShields, Hunter Pence and Joey Gallo. The emergence of Danny Santana after the season started made it even tougher for Calhoun.

But when injuries piled up and Calhoun was given a chance to play, he hit .269 with 21 home runs and 48 RBIs in 83 games. He had a .323 on-base percentage, a .524 slugging percentage and an .848 OPS that was fifth among 13 Rangers with at least 200 at-bats.

“The biggest thing was the opportunity to play every day,” Calhoun said. “I always said that if I got the opportunity to play every day, I could show what I did in the Minor Leagues I could do in the big leagues. I was finally able to show that with the everyday opportunity that I got. I have always had confidence, but this reinforces it and shows I can do it. Know what I’m capable of and there is still another level to unlock.”

What is at that level?

Speed. Calhoun’s off-speed conditioning program last winter made him more athletic. Now he needs to exploit it and be a force offensively beyond just swinging the bat.

Defense. Calhoun was switched from second base to outfield three years ago in the Dodgers' system and his defense remains a work in progress. Patrolling the vast dimensions of left in Globe Life Park added to the challenge. The dimensions of the new park have yet to be revealed, but if Calhoun can marry speed with better routes to the ball, he can be a defensive asset.

Throwing. Calhoun has increased his arm strength, Woodward said. Now he needs to refine his mechanics and increase the accuracy of his throws. That’s another dimension of being a better defensive player.

“I need to get better in everything and make sure I don’t get complacent,” Calhoun said. “Make sure what I did offseason last year, I do better this offseason. This offseason, my goal is to get faster and do a lot of route running, like football, to help my outfield defense.”

Complacency should not be a problem for any Rangers prospective outfielder. Pence is a free agent, but the Rangers still have Mazara, Choo, Gallo, DeShields and Calhoun competing for four spots. Santana is also in the mix, as is right-handed hitting outfield prospect Scott Heineman.

The Rangers have also expressed a desire to balance their lineup with more right-handed hitting. However, rumors of interest in free agent outfielder Marcel Ozuna seem contraindicative of their desire to make third base and starting pitching the club’s top priorities.

But if Calhoun can accomplish his goals and have a strong winter, it could make a big difference in everything the Rangers do leading up to Opening Day.

“He knows for us to win, he’s got to be able to defend and run the bases,” Woodward said. “He has seen what a lot of our guys who don’t have speed have done on the bases. If he can do those things, it helps us a ton. We all know he can hit. He keeps impressing us with the bat. But if he becomes a complete player, it is going to be a huge impact for us next year.”