Kolten Wong News

Kolten Wong

29-Year-Old Second Baseman2B

St. Louis Cardinals

2020 Stats

AVG

.200

RBI

Rest-of-Season Projections

AVG

RBI

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2020 Fantasy Outlook

Finally we saw the type of complete season we have wanted to see from Wong since he teased his potential back in 2014. The run production, the speed and the batting average all came together for the second baseman in 2019, turning a nice profit for owners who picked up the 2018 disappointment in the endgame. It was the perfect case of making the most of the talents you're given, because Wong is not a guy who hits the ball very hard. In fact, his average exit velocity was in the bottom 2% of all qualified hitters, and his hard-hit rate was in the bottom 10th percentile. The seasons where his BABIP is good, he has hit .285. When the BABIP is not high, his average suffers. The 12 homers he hit in 2014 remain a career high, and since the juiced ball and extra playing time in 2019 did not get him more homers, that number will remain safe. His 2015 line could very well be repeated here five seasons later. Read Past Outlooks

RANKSFrom Preseason

#220

ADP

Overall

Dynasty

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League Majors

Bats L

Throws R

40 Man Yes

Height 5'7"

Weight 185

DOB 10/10/1990

Born Hilo, HI

College Hawaii

Drafted 1st Rd 2011 STL

Big hit to start season

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

July 25, 2020

Wong (neck) went 2-for-4 with a triple in a win over the Pirates on Friday.

ANALYSIS
The veteran second baseman was at the top of the lineup as expected after dealing with some neck stiffness late in summer camp, and he wasted no time notching his first extra-base hit of the campaign. Wong bounced back from a subpar 2018 at the plate with a solid .285/.361/.423 line last season across 148 games, and he also stole a career-high 24 bases. He'll look to provide similarly well-rounded production in the shortened season while often operating at the top of the order.

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Batting Stats

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2020

2019

2018

2017

2020 MLB Game Log

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2019 MLB Game Log

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2018 MLB Game Log

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2017 MLB Game Log

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Minor League Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown

vs Right-Handed Pitchers

vs RHP

vs Left-Handed Pitchers

vs LHP

Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2018

+13%

OPS vs RHP

2020

+10%

OPS vs RHP

2019

+8%

OPS vs RHP

2018

+22%

OPS vs RHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2018vs Left	.682	222	21	4	20	5	.268	.318	.364
Since 2018vs Right	.772	755	84	16	77	25	.268	.354	.418
2020vs Left	.500	4	1	0	0	0	.250	.250	.250
2020vs Right	.548	17	2	0	0	0	.188	.235	.313
2019vs Left	.739	122	11	3	11	4	.288	.333	.405
2019vs Right	.797	427	50	8	48	20	.283	.369	.428
2018vs Left	.614	96	9	1	9	1	.241	.301	.313
2018vs Right	.752	311	32	8	29	5	.252	.341	.411
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Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2018

+18%

OPS on Road

2020

-100%

OPS at Home

2019

+41%

OPS on Road

2018

+2%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2018Home	.690	491	52	7	47	14	.255	.325	.365
Since 2018Away	.816	486	53	13	50	16	.282	.367	.448
2020Home	.885	13	3	0	0	0	.333	.385	.500
2020Away	.000	8	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
2019Home	.654	282	27	1	27	12	.255	.330	.324
2019Away	.922	267	34	10	32	12	.316	.394	.528
2018Home	.727	196	22	6	20	2	.249	.314	.412
2018Away	.711	211	19	3	18	4	.250	.348	.364
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Stat Review

How does Kolten Wong compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K
Walk to strikeout ratio
BB Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
K Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
BABIP
Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
ISO
Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
AVG
Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
OBP
On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
OPS
On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
wOBA
Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
Exit Velocity
The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
Hard Hit Rate
A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
Barrels/PA
The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.

BB/K

0.25

BB Rate

4.8%

K Rate

19.0%

BABIP

.250

ISO

.100

AVG

.200

OBP

.238

SLG

.300

OPS

.538

wOBA

.237

Exit Velocity

76.1 mph

Hard Hit Rate

31.3%

Barrels/PA

0.0%

Advanced Batting Stats

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Additional Stats

Games By Position

Defensive Stats

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Batted Ball Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Cardinals Depth Chart

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Kolten Wong

Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Cardinals at Brewers

7 days ago

Juan Pablo Aravena breaks down Friday's Cardinals at Brewers game for Dream11 contests.

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Tuesday Picks

9 days ago

Mike Barner delivers his insights for Tuesday’s nine-game main slate, which includes a Cardinals stack against Homer Bailey and the Twins.

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

12 days ago

Chris Morgan is excited about Saturday's slate and zeroes in on Mike Clevinger at home against the Royals.

DraftKings MLB: Friday Breakdown

13 days ago

Scott Jenstad likes St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty, who comes at a substantial discount over ace Justin Verlander

NL FAAB Factor: Mid-July Update

25 days ago

Jan Levine profiles a bevy of fantasy-relevant National Leaguers, including Archie Bradley, who could be a solid option as a second closer.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Wong has eclipsed 127 games just once in five seasons, and while his glove should keep him in the lineup against righties, he probably won't approach 500 plate appearances. He has matured into one of the top keystone defenders in the game, and the Cardinals don't need his bat to profile at the top of the lineup. Even so, after slashing .213/.304/.361 before the break, Wong posted a .317/.384/.439 line the rest of the season. Of some concern is a declining stolen-base success rate, as he was caught on five of his 11 attempts. Nagging injuries likely played a part but without double-digit bags, Wong's mixed-league utility is tenuous. Also worrisome is the fact Wong's 2018 ended with an MRI on his knee and the discovery of loose cartilage (surgery was deemed unnecessary). With his all-out style of play, a recurrence is possible. He was bad again against lefties (67 wRC+, 74 wRC+ for his career), so look for him to occupy the strong side of a platoon.

While Wong was limited to 108 games due to elbow, triceps and back injuries, his rate stats were better than ever in his age-26 season. He raised his on-base percentage nearly 50 points to .376 thanks in part to another uptick in walk rate (10 percent) and another decline in chase rate, and his .336 wOBA and 107 wRC+ were also well above his previous career highs. Wong was fortunate on balls in play (.331 BABIP), and his 48.1 percent groundball rate doesn't exactly bode well for his ability to increase his home-run numbers dramatically moving forward, but Wong has good speed and instincts on the bases to complement his above-average plate skills -- Wong is 15-for-17 on stolen-base attempts over the past two seasons. Manager Mike Matheny has kept Wong on a short leash so far in his career, but the reins may finally come off after Wong hit .274 with a .360 OBP against lefties last season.

Wong's 2016 showing was one to forget from the beginning, as he got off to a very slow start and hit just .222/.306/.286 through his first 49 games. As a result, he was sent to Triple-A Memphis, where he played seven games and took reps in center field. Upon his return to the majors, Wong was used as a utility man, playing every outfield position in addition to second base. While his batting average fell to .240 from 2015's .262 mark, his OBP rose (albeit marginally) due to his increased patience at the plate (9.4 percent walk rate, up from 5.9 percent). Despite this glimmer of hope, he never returned to his former role as a regular for the Cardinals and was used primarily off the bench as a pinch-hitter. Wong may remain relegated to a reserve role to begin 2017 and thus remain limited to deep mixed and NL-only consideration, especially given the slew of capable middle-infield options around the league.

After breaking out as a playoff star in 2014, Wong showed only marginal improvements in 2015. He hit just .262/.321/.386 with 11 home runs in his first full season in the majors. He dropped one home run and five stolen bases from his 2014 totals despite appearing in 37 more games and taking 180 more plate appearances. The power he flashed in the playoffs was there in the first half, as he hit eight home runs with a .434 slugging percentage before the break. But his second half was brutal, as Wong managed just three home runs, a .322 slugging percentage, and hit an awful .238. Wong never hit more than 10 home runs in the minor leagues, and it’s possible the apparent streakiness of his power in the majors is simply a sign that he doesn’t have much of it. His base stealing remains an asset, however, as he has 35 stolen bases in the past two years.

Manager Mike Matheny made Wong work hard in 2014 to prove he belonged, despite clearly being the superior option over veteran Mark Ellis. Wong was even demoted twice, once in late April and again in late June before finally being handed the starting job at second base in early July. Wong's rookie season wasn't what some had hoped, hitting just .242/.292/.388, but he did show good power and speed, with 12 home runs, 29 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases in 402 at-bats. He also displayed fairly good plate discipline, striking out just 71 times on the season. Wong finished third in Rookie of the Year voting for the NL and should be expected to post better numbers in 2015 as he's handed the starting job from the outset. If the Cardinals' offense improves, which seems likely, Wong could very well be a top-12 second baseman, capable of approaching 20 home runs and swiping at least that many bases.

Wong finally got the call in mid-August but totaled just 62 plate appearances while with the Cardinals, hardly enough time to give any concern to his .153/.194/.169 line. The second baseman had a terrific year at Triple-A posting a .303/.369/.466 line while striking out just 60 times in 412 at-bats, a solid showing for the 23-year-old. With David Freese out of the picture, Matt Carpenter will shift to third and all signs point to the Cardinals giving Wong at least 400 at-bats as their primary second baseman in 2014. There's plenty of promise with the youngster and while he might not an elite hitter at his position, he has the skills to put up good numbers in a terrific Cardinals lineup.

Wong, a 2011 first-round pick, batted .287 with nine home runs and 21 stolen bases for Double-A Springfield last year, and despite the non-eye-popping numbers, the Cardinals will at least give the Hawaii product an opportunity to win a big league job in the spring. It's far more likely that he'll stay in the minors for another year, but he's getting close. Expect him to be the starting second baseman for the Cardinals by 2014, if not sooner.

Wong, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, tore the cover off the ball in 47 games with Quad Cities last year, showing good speed (nine stolen bases), pop (22 extra-base hits), and a strong batting eye (21:24 BB:K). He's small, but he'll make up for it with his speed and defense. He could be playing second base for the Cardinals by 2013 or 2014.

More Fantasy News

Ready for Opening Day

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

July 24, 2020

Wong (neck) said he's good to go for Friday's season opener against the Pirates, Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest reports.

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Dealing with minor neck issue

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

Neck

July 22, 2020

Wong won't play in Wednesday's exhibition game against the Royals due to neck stiffness but is expected to be ready to play in Friday's Opening Day game against the Pirates, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

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Mixed outlook on Cardinals future

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

June 7, 2020

Wong, whose contract includes a 2021 club option with a $1 million buyout as per Spotrac, may ultimately be allowed to enter free agency due to payroll considerations, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch projects.

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Participates in Busch workout

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

June 3, 2020

Wong was one of the players present for the Cardinals' first on-field workout in more than two months Wednesday at Busch Stadium, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

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Working out regularly

2BSt. Louis Cardinals

May 21, 2020

Wong, who initially stayed behind in Jupiter, Florida when spring training was suspended, has been working out in the St. Louis area for some time, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

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