Dream Red Sox starting lineup for the 2024 season
By Eric Cole
#8 - Connor Wong - C
Someone has to be the worst hitter in this dream lineup and more often than not in the modern game of baseball, its going to be at catcher. Catching is such a physically demanding position to play well that teams often have to concede some offense to get a catcher who can actually do the job of calling games and controlling the run game.
Connor Wong checked the boxes that needed checking in 2023 for the Red Sox. Hitting .233 with a bit of power isn't overly fantastic, but he was still a 2+ win player this year which is more than sufficient at a position where finding players that are even passable is difficult.
Part of the issue here is that the free agent market for catchers is pretty rough. Yasmani Grandal's best days are well behind him and while the Astros loved Martin Maldonado's management of the pitching staff, he was one of the worst players in baseball in 2023 outside of that. Mitch Garver can definitely hit, but isn't an everyday catcher and is a better fit at DH which Boston definitely doesn't need for this exercise.
Perhaps an unexciting option. Wong still gets the nod near the bottom of the lineup.