The Boston Red Sox have won four of their last five games, and Connor Wong has been no small part of their success.
The catcher has been hot since the beginning of the campaign and he's taken off on what already looks to be a career year. In previous seasons, Wong was known for his speed and athleticism behind the dish, but his offensive capabilities are shining in 2024.
Wong is batting .361 in 19 games and he's hit five homers and three doubles. He hit nine home runs in 2023, and at the rate he's going, the 27-year-old could pass his previous total by July. He and three other Red Sox lead the American League in slugging percentage — Tyler O'Neill and Rob Refsnyder fall ahead of him on the list.
Wong's bat only seems to be getting hotter. He went 3-for-4 against San Francisco on May 1 and posted two hits and two RBI against the Cubs on April 28.
Connor Wong has been streaking on both sides of the ball for the Red Sox
More recently, Wong has executed some Gold Glove-caliber plays. Giants third baseman Matt Chapman tapped a rolling grounder to shallow infield in the sixth inning on Wednesday night, and Wong sprang up from behind the dish to make a sliding grab and fire to first to get the out.
Smooooth 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/AaOLMNo9Tm
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 2, 2024
As Boston's last remaining piece from the Mookie Betts trade, Wong likely feels the pressure to perform. If there are any added stakes, they've served the catcher well and he's been thriving in the Red Sox lineup. Though that trade will be criticized forever, Wong's emergence will hopefully help lessen the blow, especially after the Alex Verdugo trade and Jeter Downs failure.
He and fellow catcher Reese McGuire were splitting time behind the plate early in the slate, but Alex Cora tends to play trending players. Wong has taken over and earned more recent starts, and his additional playing time is well deserved.