Kolten Wong
Kolten Wong | |
---|---|
Arizona Diamondbacks | |
Second baseman | |
Born: Hilo, Hawaii, U.S. | October 10, 1990|
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
August 16, 2013, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
Batting average | .256 |
Home runs | 86 |
Runs batted in | 405 |
Stolen bases | 120 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Kolten Kaha Wong (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball second baseman in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his MLB debut in 2013. Wong bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
From
Early life
Kolten Wong is the son of Kolen "Kaha" Wong, who played
To train as a baseball player, Wong spent two hours daily cutting trees with an axe to improve his strength, and daily sessions in a batting cage. He participated in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland where he led his team, Pacific Southwest, to the championship. He also played in the 2007 Senior League Baseball World Series, with his team from Hilo American Little League.[4] His younger brother, Kean, played in the Junior Little League World Series.[1]
High school and college career
Wong was a two-sport star at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii in Keaau, Hawaii, playing baseball and football.[5] As a baseball standout, Wong batted .600 during his senior year and was named a co-winner for the 2008 Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year honor.[5] Wong was a top scholar as well.[6]
The
In a game against
As a freshman, he played
During his junior year at Hawaii, Wong led the team in batting average at .378 and was fourth in the WAC; he also finished fourth in the WAC in SLG (.560) and third in OBP at .492. Other totals included 48 runs scored, 11 doubles, seven home runs, 23 stolen bases, and 42 bases on balls.[7] Wong was named a Baseball America All-American in 2011.[12] He finished his college career with a .358 batting average (245 hits in 684 at-bats), 47 doubles, 25 home runs, 145 RBIs, a .563 SLG and .449 OBP. He stole 53 bases in 71 attempts.[13]
The University of Hawaii baseball program retired Wong's jersey number, 14, in 2017.[14]
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
2011−2013
Eligible for the
After earning a promotion to the
The Cardinals promoted Wong to the
Manager Mike Matheny named Wong to the 2013 Cardinals' postseason roster. He played in seven total games between the National League Division Series (NLDS), National League Championship Series (NLCS) and World Series. He made his World Series debut in Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox as a defensive substitution and collected a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning in his only Series plate appearance.[21] Wong also appeared in Game 4 when Matheny inserted him as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. However, Boston closer Koji Uehara picked him off first base for the final out of the game, the only occasion in which a World Series game ended on a pickoff play.[a] Boston won the game, 4–2, and went on to win the Series, 4–2.[22][23]
2014
Wong became the de facto starter out of spring training for 2014. The Cardinals had traded third baseman David Freese and second baseman Matt Carpenter moved to third base.[24] The Cardinals signed veteran free agent Mark Ellis to provide insurance and guidance for him. Wong struggled early, batting .225 in April, and was demoted to Memphis.[25] He returned to the MLB club in May after hitting .344 with two homers, five steals, and an .867 on-base plus slugging (OPS) in 15 games, and also developed a modified swing.[26]
Batting .333 with the Cardinals in May, Wong recorded the highest average for rookies with a minimum of 40 plate appearances. He also made no defensive errors.
After enduring three games with three strikeouts each in a previous eight-game period, Wong finished a triple short of the cycle in an August 2 game against division rival Milwaukee Brewers.[33] His first career multi-home run game came five days later in a 3-for-4 performance with two home runs against the Red Sox.[34] Against the Baltimore Orioles on August 10, he notched his second career four-hit game in an 8–3 victory.[35] He batted .254 after being recalled from Memphis, including a .315 average against left-handed pitching.[25] Wong started 100 games at second base, finishing with a .249 batting average, 12 home runs, 54 RBI, 42 runs scored and led the club with 20 stolen bases.[36]
The Cardinals won the National League Central Division. In Game 3 of the NLDS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, his seventh-inning, two-run homer broke a tie and provided the final margin in the Cardinals' 3–1 victory.[37] In Game 2 of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants on October 12, Wong hit his second career MLB walk-off home run, a solo shot that secured a 1–1 tie in the series for the Cardinals. This was the fourth postseason walk-off home run in franchise history, following Ozzie Smith (1985 NLCS), Jim Edmonds (2004 NLCS), and Freese (2011 World Series). In MLB postseason history, Wong became the third second baseman to accomplish the walk-off feat, after Bill Mazeroski (1960 World Series) and Jeff Kent (2004 NLCS).[38] For the 2014 postseason, Wong appeared in eight games, hitting three home runs and three doubles.[39] He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year Award voting.[40]
2015−2020
Wong contributed to the Cardinals' early success in 2015. On April 22 against the Washington Nationals, he had three hits – including a home run – and fielded would-be base hits from Yunel Escobar and Wilson Ramos (fifth and sixth innings) on the third base side of second, and turned and threw both out.[41] He hit his second career regular-season walk-off home run against Pittsburgh on May 3 in the 14th inning for a 3–2 decision.[42] During an eight-game hitting streak through May 10, he batted .517 (15-for-29) with two home runs.[43] For the season, he batted .262 with 28 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 71 runs scored.[44]
On March 2, 2016, Wong agreed to a five-year extension with the Cardinals worth $25.5 million, with $12.5 million team option for 2021.[45] He struggled early, batting .222 with a .571 OPS through June 5, and the Cardinals demoted him to Memphis the next day.[46] With Memphis, Wong began to gain experience as a center fielder.[47] In his debut with Memphis, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in an 8−5 win over Colorado Springs.[48] The Cardinals recalled Wong on June 17.[49] His ninth-inning, RBI double in the July 27 game against the New York Mets drove in the game-winning run for a 5−4 final score, where Jeurys Familia’s consecutive-saves streak had ended one batter earlier to Yadier Molina at 52, the third-longest in major league history.[50] Wong finished 2016 with a .240 batting average, five home runs, 23 RBIs, and a .682 OPS.[51]
In 2017, Wong bounced back strong despite playing in only 108 games. He hit .285 with four home runs and 42 RBIs along with walking a career high 41 times.[52]
On May 5,
On March 28, 2019, Wong hit a two-run home run in his first at bat of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, and hit another later in the game.[57] Wong finished his 2019 regular season slashing .285/.361/.423 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases over 148 games. He led the major leagues in bunt hits (11).[58] On defense, he had a 14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the best in the major leagues among second basemen.[59] He was nominated for a Gold Glove for the second straight season,[60] and won the award for the first time in his career.[61]
In a shortened 2020 season, Wong batted .265/.350/.326 with one home run and 16 RBIs over 53 games with a .989 fielding percentage.[52] He was awarded his second consecutive Gold Glove after leading major league second basemen in defense runs saved, defensive WAR, double plays turned, and double plays started.[62] The Cardinals declined his team option for 2021, thus making him a free agent for the first time in his career.[63]
Milwaukee Brewers (2021–2022)
On February 5, 2021, Wong signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. The contract included a club option for the 2023 season.[64] He hit .272 with 14 homers and 50 RBI that season in 116 games[52] and .251 in 134 games with 15 homers and 47 RBI in 2022.[52]
On November 8, 2022, the Brewers exercised Wong's $10 million option for the 2023 season.[65]
Seattle Mariners (2023)
On December 2, 2022, the Brewers traded Wong to the Seattle Mariners for Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker.[66] Wong opened the season in a platoon at second base, but struggled and began to lose playing time to José Caballero by May.[67] Wong batted .165 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 67 games for the Mariners before he was designated for assignment on August 1.[68] He was released by Seattle on August 3.[69]
Los Angeles Dodgers (2023)
On August 18, 2023, Wong signed a minor league contract with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
On February 28, 2024, Wong signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.[72] On March 22, he triggered the opt–out clause in his contract[73] and Baltimore released him two days later.[74]
On April 10, 2024, Wong signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.[75]
Awards
Award/honor | # of times | Dates (Ranking or event) | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
Major leagues | |||
National League Gold Glove Award | 2 | 2019, 2020 | |
National League Rookie of the Month | 1 | May 2014 | [27] |
Minor leagues | |||
Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game | 2 | 2012, 2013 | [16][20] |
Minor Leagues All-Star | 3 | 2012 midseason and postseason (Texas League), 2012 All-Prospect Team (Arizona Fall League) | [76] |
St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year | 1 | 2013 | [18] |
Baseball America Top 100 Prospects | 3 | pre-2012 (#93), pre-2013 (#84), pre-2014 (#58) | [77] |
MLB.com Top 100 prospects | 2 | pre-2013 (#79), pre-2014 (#58) | [77] |
Baseball Prospectus Top 100 Prospects | 3 | pre-2012 (#88), pre-2013 (#90), pre-2014 (#33) | [77] |
Personal life
Wong grew up an Atlanta Braves fan.[78] His brother, Kean, is also an MLB second baseman. They have a sister, Kiani, who is a softball player at Hawaii. On December 19, 2013, Wong's mother, Keala, died from cancer.[79]
Wong is of
In November 2015, Wong married Alissa Noll.
Wong began fundraising to help families impacted by the 2018 lower Puna eruption in May 2018[87] by creating a GoFundMe page that has raised over $58,000.
See also
Notes
a Although the 1926 World Series between the Cardinals and the New York Yankees ended on the base path, it was on a stolen base attempt by Babe Ruth, not a pickoff.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Hull, Billy (May 26, 2011). "Workin' for a livin'". Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Kolten Wong always wanted to be a pro baseball player. He's made it a labor of love to do it the right way.
- ^ a b c Carpenter, Russ (June 25, 2010). "What's right for Wong?". Cape Cod Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ "Kaha Wong minor league statistics & history". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ "Cartersville Little League Wins Senior League Baseball World Series". Little League. October 21, 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c Pleskoff, Bernie (November 26, 2012). "Wong building case to aid Cards at top of lineup". MLB.com via St. Louis Cardinals official team website. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Gintonio, Jim (November 15, 2012). "Cardinals prospect Wong brings confident game to AFL". MLB.com via Cardinals team website. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
- ^ a b "Kolten Wong". Hawaii Athletics. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ a b CCBL Release (August 12, 2010). "Kolten Wong named 2010 Cape Cod Baseball League MVP". College Baseball Daily. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- South Coast Times. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ "#10 Kolten Wong". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Six Former Cape Leaguers to Join Hallowed Hall". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- ^ "College: Awards: All-America Teams: 2011 College All-America Team". BaseballAmerica.com. June 15, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ The Cardinal Nation Staff (June 6, 2011). "Cardinals draft Kolten Wong in first round". Scout.com. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ "Baseball Retires No. 14 For Distinguished Alumnus Kolten Wong". Hawaii Athletics. February 13, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Kolten Wong Amateur, College & Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Mayo, Jonathan (May 24, 2013). "Prospects pack rosters for 2012 All-Star Futures Game | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ Goold, Derick (November 27, 2012). "Cardinals make shift in farm system". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ a b c Cardinals Press Release (December 11, 2013). "St. Louis Cardinals name Wong and Petrick Minor League Player & Pitcher of the Year". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (August 15, 2013). "Cards to call up Wong for first Major League stint: Rated No. 4 prospect, second baseman to join team Friday; Chambers to be optioned". MLB.com. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Langosch, Jenifer (July 14, 2013). "Path not clear cut, but future bright for Wong". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer; McCalvy, Adam; Thornburg, Chad (October 27, 2013). "Wong makes most of first World Series experience". MLB.com. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ Corcoran, Cliff (October 28, 2013). "Watch: Kolten Wong picked off to end Game 4 with Carlos Beltran at plate". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (October 31, 2013). "Cardinals' title dreams dashed in Game 6". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Goold, Derrick (January 10, 2014). "No time to breathe for Kolten Wong". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
- ^ a b Ortiz, Jorge (October 13, 2014). "Rookies Kolten Wong, Joe Panik seize the postseason spotlight". USA Today. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Gleeman, Aaron (May 14, 2014). "Cardinals call up Kolten Wong from Triple-A". NBC Sports Hardball Talk. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
- ^ a b c MLB Press Release (June 3, 2014). "Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals voted National League Rookie of the Month for May". MLB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- ^ Goold, Derrick (June 4, 2014). "Answering 7 – make that 9 – questions as Cardinal Nation's angst meter redlines; 6: Is Adams a defensive plus?". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
- ^ Halsted, Alex (June 3, 2014). "Bats erupt as Cards fall in offensive outburst". MLB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- ^ Perry, Dayne (June 21, 2014). "Cardinals place Kolten Wong on DL with shoulder soreness". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ^ Jaffe, Jay (July 9, 2014). "After a long drought, Cardinals hit walk-off homers two nights in a row". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Hilo's Wong homers for 5th time in 7 games, Cardinals extend Brewers losing streak to 7". khon2.com. Associated Press. July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (August 2, 2014). "Cards' offense shines bright in Masterson's debut". MLB.com. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ^ Halsted, Alex (August 7, 2014). "Strike back: Wainwright gets win No. 14". MLB.com. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (August 10, 2014). "Cards' offense turns tables on O's in finale win". MLB.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ Alexander, Ari (November 10, 2014). "Kolten Wong 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting". Evansville, Indiana: WFIE. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ "NLDS: Cardinals take 2-1 playoff series lead with 3-1 win over Dodgers". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Stark, Jayson (October 13, 2014). "Kolten Wong's walk-off wins wild one". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Gordon, Jeff (October 17, 2014). "Cardinals 2014 report card: Kolten Wong B+". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (November 10, 2014). "Wong takes third place in NL ROY vote". MLB.com. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Thompson, Luke (April 22, 2015). "Wong does it all for Cards in win at Washington". FOX Sports Midwest. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- ^ "Cardinals win in extras again, beat Pirates 3-2 in 14". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- STATS LLC. CBSSports.com. May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ^ Hull, Billy (March 2, 2016). "Kolten Wong agrees to contract extension with Cardinals". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ Saxon, Mark (March 2, 2016). "Cardinals reach 5-year extension with 2B Kolten Wong". ESPN. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "2B Kolten Wong demoted ahead of Jhonny Peralta activation". ESPN. June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (June 14, 2016). "Wong getting work in center field in Minors". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Bailey, Mike (June 9, 2016). "Wong homers twice, blasts grand slam in Memphis debut". KMOV. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ ESPN.com News Services (June 17, 2016). "Cardinals recall Kolten Wong after demotion". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Red, Christian (July 27, 2016). "Jeurys Familia blows first save of season as Mets fall to Cardinals, 5−4". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Kolten Wong Stats, Fantasy & News | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Kolten Wong Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Trezza, Joe (May 5, 2018). "Cardinals walk off on Kolten Wong home run | St. Louis Cardinals". Mlb.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "Pirates fall to Cardinals on Kolten Wong's walk-off homer". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Associated Press. June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals 2018 player grades: Infielders | Sports". kmov.com. October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Hummel, Rick (November 5, 2018). "Molina adds to his haul of Gold Gloves but Wong comes up short". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ "Wong's 2 homers on Opening Day | 03/28/2019". MLB.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Batters » Batted Ball Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". Fangraphs.com. January 1, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Second Basemen » Fielding Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". Fangraphs.com. January 1, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Sam Masterson (October 24, 2019). "St. Louis Cardinals have six Gold Glove finalists". Kmox.radio.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Hochman, Benjamin (November 4, 2019). "Hochman: Aptitude, altitude, attitude. Kolten Wong's leaping catch captured Gold Glove season for Cardinals 2B". STLtoday.com.
- ^ FOX Sports Midwest Nov 3, 2020 at 9:10p ET (November 3, 2020). "Kolten Wong, Tyler O'Neill win Gold Glove Awards". FOX Sports. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Cardinals not picking up 2021 option on 2B Wong". ESPN.com. October 28, 2020.
- ^ "Press release: Brewers sign second baseman Kolten Wong". Mlb.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Wong's 2023 option picked up by Brewers". MLB.com.
- ^ "Mariners land 2B Wong in trade with Brewers". ESPN. December 2, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ Divish, Ryan (May 19, 2023). "Mariners going with Jose Caballero over Kolten Wong at second base for now". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "Mariners designate Wong for assignment". ESPN.com. August 2, 2023.
- ^ "Kolten Wong: Released after DFA". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "Former Seattle Mariners 2B Kolten Wong Signs with National League Contender". si.com. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ Stephen, Eric (September 1, 2023). "Dodgers September call-ups are Kolten Wong and Emmet Sheehan". SB Nation. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ "Orioles add Kolten Wong, Julio Teheran with spring invites". ESPN.com. February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Kolten Wong Triggers Opt-Out With Orioles". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/kolten-wong-triggers-opt-out-with-orioles.html
- ^ "Diamondbacks sign second baseman Kolten Wong to minor-league contract". arizonasports.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Kolten Wong profile". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Kolten Wong minor league statistics & history". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ 11:00 pm to 12:00 am (May 18, 2018). "Now They're Cardinals Fans, But What Were Their Favorite Teams As Kids? | KMOX-AM". Kmox.radio.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Jakahi, Kevin (January 10, 2014). "Wongs fight on". West Hawaii Today. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
- ^ "Along with bat and glove, Kolten Wong uses his voice to make impact". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. May 24, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Stull, Brian (April 15, 2014). "Cards' Wong is a hit in China". KSDK.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ^ Post-Dispatch store (May 24, 2015). "Wong carries a mountain with him to the plate | St. Louis Cardinals". stltoday.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Kirn, Jacob (September 8, 2016). "Kolten Wong's new million-dollar home". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Haudricourt, Todd Rosiak and Tom. "Now wearing a Milwaukee uniform, Kolten Wong is looking forward to his return to St. Louis". Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "Powered by 'dad strength,' Kolten Wong primed for debut with Brewers". April 2021.
- ^ "Wong on baby: 'I can't be happier with life'". MLB.com.
- ^ Fedschun, Travis (May 8, 2018). "Hawaii-born Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals star, makes plea for help for volcano victims". Fox News. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Kolten Wong on Twitter
- Kolten Wong on Instagram
- Facebook Fan Page