Connor Wong has posted a breakout campaign for the Boston Red Sox. The 28-year-old backstop is one of Boston's hottest hitters, and his case for the All-Star Game builds by the day.
Wong has been consistent at the plate all season but flashed a burst of power against the Cincinnati Reds. He's slashed .333/.400/.667 with two homers in his last seven games, and carries a 13-game hitting streak.
Wong was placed on the paternity list on the afternoon of June 24 just before the Sox's series-opening matchup with the Blue Jays. He'll likely miss all of Boston's second series against Toronto but should be back with plenty of time to appear in the All-Star Game if the votes go his way.
Red Sox catcher Connor Wong deserves an All-Star nod
Wong boasts the second-highest batting average in MLB among players with 200 or more at-bats — Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan holds the lead by a significant margin, but Wong falls ahead of Shohei Ohtani in average.
The catcher is slashing .330/.390/.480 with an .870 OPS — the highest among all catchers with at least 100 plate appearances. His athleticism has shown this season after he's made some stellar plays in the field and he ranks in the 97th percentile in baserunning run value.
Connor Wong has driven in 8 runs over his last 6 games. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/O5NZYEw3eA
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2024
As of June 24, Wong ranks eighth in votes among American League catchers. The Orioles' Adley Rutschman and Royals' Salvador Perez lead the charge by far. Jose Trevino, the Yankees catcher the Red Sox stole nine bases on to take their opening series, ranks third with almost 650,000 fewer votes than Perez. Wong isn't getting enough love at the online ballot box.
Boston only just entered the playoff picture by a thin margin, so Rutschman, Perez and Trevino have hype on their side. Wong also doesn't have as many plate appearances as his main competitors, because he began the season splitting playing time with Reese McGuire before emerging as the top option. But Wong has been excellent both at the plate and behind it all season, and the rest of the league should put some respect on his name.
All-Star fan voting closes on June 27, and Boston fans are running out of time to vote Wong into the action. The Red Sox have multiple deserving All-Stars who won't make the cut for the festivities at Globe Life Field, but Wong's breakout season deserves recognition, even beyond the All-Star game.