Connor Wong

Connor Wong
Wong during 2020 spring training
Boston Red Sox – No. 12
Catcher / Infielder
Born: (1996-05-19) May 19, 1996 (age 28)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 22, 2021, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.256
Home runs23
Runs batted in96
Teams

Connor Sun-Han Wong (born May 19, 1996) is an American professional baseball catcher and infielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 181 pounds (82 kg), he bats and throws right-handed. He made his MLB debut in June 2021, prior to which he played every position except pitcher in the minor leagues.

Amateur career

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Wong attended Pearland High School in Pearland, Texas, where he played baseball. He is the stepson of former Montreal Expos and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Matt Maysey.[1] In his senior year of 2014, he earned all-state honors as a shortstop.[2] After not being selected in the 2014 MLB draft, he enrolled at the University of Houston where he played college baseball for the Cougars.[3]

In 2015, Wong's freshman season at Houston, he started 62 of Houston's 63 games at shortstop, hitting .248 with six home runs and 37 runs batted in (RBIs).[4] That summer, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox.[5][6] As a sophomore in 2016, he started all 59 games and saw time at catcher, third base, and the outfield; for the season, Wong had a slash line of .304/.415/.435 with five home runs and 30 RBIs, earning all-conference first-team honors in the American Athletic Conference.[7][8] He returned to the Cape Cod League that summer, playing 41 games with the Bourne Braves, batting .313 with three home runs and earning all-star honors.[9][10][11] In 2017, Wong's junior year at Houston, he began catching full-time.[12] For the season, he started all 63 of Houston's games, slashing .287/.379/.494 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. After the season, he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 2017 MLB draft.[13]

Professional career

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Los Angeles Dodgers

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Wong signed with the Dodgers and made his professional debut with the rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers before being promoted to the Great Lakes Loons of the Class A Midwest League after one game; over 28 games for the season, Wong hit .276 with five home runs and 18 RBIs. In 2018, Wong played for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Class A-Advanced California League (with whom he earned all-star honors), slashing .269/.350/.480 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs over 102 games.[14][15][16] Wong returned to the Quakes to begin 2019, earning all-star honors for the second straight year, before being promoted to the Tulsa Drillers of the Double-A Texas League in July.[17][18] Over 111 games between the two clubs, he slashed .281/.336/.541 with 24 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.[19]

Boston Red Sox

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On February 10, 2020, Wong was traded to the Boston Red Sox along with Jeter Downs and Alex Verdugo in exchange for Mookie Betts, David Price and cash considerations.[20] After the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wong was invited to participate in the Red Sox' fall instructional league.[21] On November 20, 2020, he was added to the 40-man roster.[22]

To begin the 2021 season, Wong was assigned to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.[23] On June 22, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time and made his major-league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays as a pinch runner in extra innings.[24][25] He recorded his first MLB hit on June 26, a single against Jordan Montgomery of the New York Yankees.[26] Wong was optioned back to Worcester and recalled to Boston several times from July to September.[27][28][29] Wong played in a total of six games for Boston, batting 4-for-13 (.308) with one RBI.[30] He also made 50 appearances for Worcester, batting .256 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs.[31] After the regular season, Wong was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League.[32]

Wong began the 2022 season in Triple-A; he was called up to Boston on April 18 when Kevin Plawecki was placed on the COVID-related list.[33] The next evening, Wong hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in a 2–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.[34] Wong was optioned back to Worcester on April 25, when Plawecki returned to the team.[35] Wong later spent parts of July with Boston.[36] He sustained a hand injury on July 29 when he was hit by a pitch in a Triple-A contest, causing him to miss multiple games.[37] On September 1, when MLB active rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players, Wong was recalled to Boston.[38] On September 2, he hit his first major-league home run, coming against Texas Rangers pitcher A. J. Alexy at Fenway Park.[39] Wong made 27 appearances for Boston during the season, batting .188 with one home run and seven RBIs.[30] He also played 81 games for Triple-A Worcester, batting .288 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.[31]

In 2023 Wong served as the primary catcher for the Red Sox. In 126 games he hit .235 with nine home runs and eight stolen bases.[40]

Personal life

[edit]

Wong is married to Danielle Adair Wong, with whom he has a son.[41]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "WooSox Connor Wong carrying on family tradition".
  2. ^ "TXSWA | 2014 All-State Baseball Teams". www.txswa.org.
  3. ^ "Connor Wong". uhcougars.com. 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Oppermann, Anthony (February 11, 2016). "Julks, Wong take shared select baseball experience to UH". The Daily News. Galveston, Texas.
  5. ^ "Cape Cod Baseball League: Y-D tops Bourne for third straight win". capecodtimes.com. June 18, 2016.
  6. ^ "#20 Connor Wong". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Cougars' Joe Davis named AAC Rookie of the Year". HoustonChronicle.com. May 23, 2016.
  8. ^ "Baseball players receive preseason recognition". uwire.com. January 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "#5 Connor Wong". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Maclone, Rich (June 22, 2016). "Bourne Braves Sliding Down Standings". CapeNews.net.
  11. ^ "West cruises to victory in Friendly's Cape League All-Star Game". www.capecodbaseball.org. July 23, 2016.
  12. ^ Gurnick, Ken (June 13, 2017). "Similarities to Barnes led LA to pick Wong". MLB.com.
  13. ^ Dunnam, Ted (June 13, 2017). "MLB draft: Pearland's Connor Wong selected by Dodgers". Houston Chronicle.
  14. ^ Horton, Josh (April 22, 2018). "Wong keeps homers coming for Quakes". MiLB.com.
  15. ^ Segal, Shel (June 21, 2019). "Several Quakes and 66ers players participate in California League All-Star Game in San Bernardino". Fontana Herald News.
  16. ^ Lewis, Barry (February 15, 2019). "Scott Hennessey looks for defending champion Drillers to 'do it again'". Tulsa World.
  17. ^ Terranova, Rob (August 28, 2019). "Wong continues to rake for Drillers". MiLB.com.
  18. ^ Jennings, Lauren (June 9, 2019). "Seven Quakes named to 2019 Cal League All-Star Team | Think Blue LA". thinkbluela.com.
  19. ^ Smith, Christopher (February 13, 2020). "Connor Wong learned of trade to Boston Red Sox during his own housewarming party in Houston; 'I had a few missed calls from the farm director'". MassLive.com.
  20. ^ Gurnick, Ken (February 10, 2020). "Mookie Betts is officially on his way to LA". MLB.com. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  21. ^ Hatfield, Chris (October 4, 2020). "Red Sox 2020 Fall Instructional Camp roster and details". SoxProspects.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  22. ^ Adams, Steve (November 20, 2020). "Red Sox Add 7 Players To 40-Man Roster; Weber, Hall Designated For Assignment". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  23. ^ Cotillo, Chris (May 3, 2021). "Worcester Red Sox announce Opening Day roster: Jarren Duran, Jeter Downs, Tanner Houck, Michael Chavis headline inaugural 30-man group". MassLive.com.
  24. ^ Westerholm, Tom (June 22, 2021). "3 things to know about Connor Wong, Red Sox prospect called up vs. Rays". Boston.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021 – via MSN.com.
  25. ^ "Red Sox vs. Rays - Box Score". ESPN.com. June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Connor Wong 2021 Batting Game Log". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  27. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. July 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  28. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. August 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  29. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. September 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Connor Wong Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  31. ^ a b "Connor Wong Amateur, College & Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  32. ^ Cundall, Ian (October 27, 2021). "Scouting Scratch: Breaking down the Arizona Fall League contingent". Sox Prospects. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  33. ^ Cotillo, Chris (April 18, 2022). "Red Sox COVID issues: Kevin Plawecki, 2 staff members test positive; Connor Wong called up from WooSox". masslive.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  34. ^ Mullen, Maureen (April 19, 2022). "Boston Red Sox held to just 3 hits, but still edge Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park". WCVB-TV. AP. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  35. ^ Collins, Matt (April 25, 2022). "Red Sox activate Kevin Plawecki off the COVID list". SB Nation. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via MSN.com.
  36. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. July 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  37. ^ Speier, Alex (August 5, 2022). "How the Red Sox minor league system looks after the trade deadline". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "Red Sox promote Connor Wong, Eduard Bazardo as September call-ups". CBS Boston. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022 – via MSN.com.
  39. ^ Mullen, Maureen (September 2, 2022). "Wong hits 1st MLB homer, Red Sox lose Pivetta, beat Rangers". Boston.com. AP. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  40. ^ "Connor Wong Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
  41. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
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