Kolten Wong

Kolten Wong

32-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
Seattle Mariners
2023 Fantasy Outlook
A calf strain and subsequent setback cost Wong three weeks. He would go on to slash .281/.372/.490 with nine homers and seven steals in 64 games after the All-Star break, although he lost time to lefties as his struggles against them mounted (.138/.266/.175 vs. LHP for the season). Wong hit .294 against southpaw pitching in 2021, but he has an obvious platoon partner in Dylan Moore after getting sent to Seattle in the Jesse Winker deal, so a loose platoon should be expected to begin 2023. Wong has proven to be productive against righties in his career with a solid average and a splash of both power and speed. He has only cleared 500 plate appearances twice in the majors and yet has recorded double-digit homers and steals on five occasions. His speed is waning as he pushes closer to his mid-30s, perhaps leaving some question about the sustainability of his stolen bases. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#274
ADP
$Signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Brewers in February of 2021. Brewers exercised $10 million team option for 2023 in November of 2022. Traded to the Mariners in December of 2022.
Sets table out of bottom of order
2BSeattle Mariners
May 27, 2023
Wong went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs in a loss to the Pirates on Friday.
ANALYSIS
The veteran infielder worked out of the bottom of the order, teeing up Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford for RBI opportunities in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively. Wong's start was only his fourth since May 15 and once again came as a result of an off day for the productive Jose Caballero, who's occasionally been given a seat against right-handed pitching. Wong's still slashing an abysmal .167/.259/.196 across 116 plate appearances.
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Batting Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
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2022 MLB Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
4
2
3
9
13
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+22%
OPS vs RHP
2023
 
 
+64%
OPS vs RHP
2022
 
 
+92%
OPS vs RHP
2021
 
 
+1%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021vs Left .633 261 26 5 20 4 .230 .297 .336
Since 2021vs Right .773 848 120 24 85 25 .257 .337 .436
2023vs Left .284 18 0 0 0 0 .118 .167 .118
2023vs Right .467 102 11 0 8 0 .169 .265 .202
2022vs Left .441 96 8 1 3 1 .138 .266 .175
2022vs Right .845 401 57 14 44 16 .277 .357 .489
2021vs Left .790 147 18 4 17 3 .297 .333 .457
2021vs Right .779 345 52 10 33 9 .261 .336 .443
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
Even Split
2023
 
 
+8%
OPS on Road
2022
 
 
+2%
OPS at Home
2021
 
 
+1%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021Home .741 537 77 16 55 12 .242 .325 .416
Since 2021Away .738 572 69 13 50 17 .259 .330 .408
2023Home .421 63 10 0 4 0 .132 .270 .151
2023Away .454 57 1 0 4 0 .189 .228 .226
2022Home .779 245 30 8 25 6 .242 .333 .445
2022Away .761 252 35 7 22 11 .260 .345 .416
2021Home .786 229 37 8 26 6 .271 .332 .454
2021Away .780 263 33 6 24 6 .273 .338 .441
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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.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.38
 
BB Rate
8.3%
 
K Rate
21.7%
 
BABIP
.210
 
ISO
.028
 
AVG
.160
 
OBP
.250
 
SLG
.189
 
OPS
.439
 
wOBA
.211
 
Exit Velocity
84.5 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
21.0%
 
Barrels/PA
0.8%
 
Expected BA
.196
 
Expected SLG
.269
 
Sprint Speed
22.4 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
45.0%
 
Line Drive %
12.5%
 
Fly Ball %
42.5%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
Wong has turned himself into a nice triple-threat fantasy option, providing power, speed and a nice batting average. While most of his profile remained constant in 2021, he did hit a career-high 14 homers in fewer than 500 plate appearances during his first year with the Brewers. He dealt with some mid-season injuries (oblique, calf). Before the injuries, he was hitting .280/.343/.441, but his slash line dropped to .250/.318/.417 after he returned from the second IL stint. Another issue was his highest strikeout rate since his rookie season as it increased to 16.9%. Those are relatively small flaws from an otherwise safe and productive player. He's found a home in Milwaukee where he can play every day, when healthy. Roster away.
The Cardinals opted to decline the 30-year-old's $12.5 million club option for 2021, bringing his 10-year run in the organization to an end. Wong had a career-low .676 OPS with only seven extra-base hits in 53 games last season. His defense remains strong as he won his second consecutive Gold Glove at second base. The lack of pop was his main issue -- the .326 SLG was one of the worst in the league among qualified hitters. That should improve in 2021; he slugged .408 over the previous three years heading into the shortened season and as a lefty sees a big park upgrade with an offseason move to the Brewers. The potential for steals is also there -- he had 24 stolen bases in 2019 -- though Wong's numbers in that category have fluctuated wildly throughout his career. Wong batted leadoff for St. Louis most of last season and might be a fit there for Milwaukee.
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.
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
On bench again versus righty
2BSeattle Mariners
May 19, 2023
Wong is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game in Atlanta, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
ANALYSIS
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Could be losing starting job
2BSeattle Mariners
May 19, 2023
Wong could begin to lose playing time to Jose Caballero at second base, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.
ANALYSIS
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Benched against Boston
2BSeattle Mariners
May 17, 2023
Wong is out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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On bench versus lefty
2BSeattle Mariners
May 14, 2023
Wong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.
ANALYSIS
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Sitting against southpaw
2BSeattle Mariners
May 9, 2023
Wong is out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against Texas.
ANALYSIS
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