The Boston Red Sox's catchers have made a scene at the plate this season. Manager Alex Cora has shown a habit of using hot bats when constructing lineups.
First, Reese McGuire was on fire. The catcher earned appearances in the majority of Boston's first four series of the season and he's up to two homers and 10 RBI on the season — McGuire only hit one homer and 12 RBI in all of 2023.
More recently, Connor Wong has been the one streaking. The 27-year-old has put on a show at the plate this season, and his most recent outing against the Cleveland Guardians was his best yet.
Wong mashed two home runs as part of a 4-for-4 night at the plate against Cleveland's pitching. His performance was a stark turnaround from last week's outing against the Guardians, when Wong went 0-for-4 against Carlos Carrasco and their bullpen.
Going, going, Wong. pic.twitter.com/x09zwczRCw
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 25, 2024
The catcher has been on a hot streak at the plate that dates back as far as spring training. Wong is batting .370/.386/.667 with a 1.053 OPS, five homers and 11 RBI. In 2023, Wong hit just nine home runs and registered 36 RBI.
He's a reflection of a new theme taking hold in baseball, and on the Red Sox in particular — he's athletic, and lacks a typical "catcher's build." Cora mentioned it's a goal for his team to be a threat on the base paths, and Wong is one of the fastest catchers in MLB with a sprint speed that clocks in the 83rd percentile.
Red Sox Connor Wong has become one of the best hitting catchers in MLB
Let Wong keep the HR medal. pic.twitter.com/nnOavLWDBu
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 24, 2024
The Red Sox's pitching staff has done a far better job at keeping runners off the bases this year than it has in recent seasons, so Wong's caught-stealing numbers aren't all that impressive so far. But his metrics from last season show how well his athleticism suits a role behind the plate. Wong ranked in the 92nd percentile in caught stealing above average and 78th in pop time, according to Baseball Savant.
Wong has also refined his approach at the dish. He's swinging at more good pitches, and he's been hitting them with explosive results. In 2023, Wong logged 87 hits in 126 games. This season, he's collected 20 hits in 15 games — he's on pace to blow his previous offensive numbers out of the water.
The catcher has worked his way up to being one of the more consistent hitters on the 2024 Red Sox and, as of April 25, he's the owner of the best batting average for any catcher in the league.
Wong hasn't shown any signs of slowing down at the plate, and Red Sox Nation hopes his post-homer dugout dances become a staple of the campaign.