Kolten Wong is a natural fit on defense, in the clubhouse for the Mariners
Kolten Wong is a natural fit on defense, in the clubhouse for the Mariners
Kolten Wong has been very impressive so far in camp and his bat hasn't even heated up yet. How his defense and fit in the clubhouse have been a seamless fit so far this Spring
Of the offseason additions, Teoscar Hernández gets most of the attention for being a physical specimen, but my eyes were trained on a different addition.
After spending eight seasons in St. Louis and two in Milwaukee, Kolten Wong has joined the Seattle Mariners as a rather large offseason acquisition. The production at second base was nonexistent last season, and Seattle is hoping Wong can inject life into a position that has been an issue for the Mariners for several years now.
Wong put together 2.5 fWAR each of the last two seasons, putting up a career high 117 WRC+ last year. He actually has a very solid track record of being an above-average performer, something Seattle could really use.
Adam Frazier put up 1.1 fWAR last season but produced just an 81 WRC+. Seattle needs more offense from the position, but with the new shift rules the importance of having a rangy defender at the position has increased.
Defense has always been the calling card of the Hawaii native, but last year his defensive value fell off a cliff. He ranked in just the 3rd percentile of Outs Above Average according to his Baseball Savant page.
Compare that to previous seasons and the dropoff is concerning, considering he has ranked in the 60th percentile or above in every season since 2018. Savant ranked Seattle second baseman Adam Frazier in the 90th percentile last season.
This has many people concerned about Wong and his ability to play the infield at a high level. However, watching him play so far this Spring has quelled any doubts I have had about the 32 year old on defense.
After watching three Perry Hill led practices on the backfields of the Peoria Sports Complex, I was completely sold on Wong.
His feet and feeds are extremely quick, and his hands are top-tier. With the shift ban, it will be very important for second basemen to have good range, and Wong seemed to possess this, especially moving to his left.
His chemistry with JP Crawford up the middle was already apparent, with crisp feeds on double-play turns. Perry Hill has done a fantastic job with many infielders over the course of his career, and the ability to do so with Wong shouldn’t be surprising.
If the Mariners can get even average defense out of Wong, this would be a big boost to his value. However, despite Baseball Savant’s poor ratings last season, I would bet heavily on Wong being an above-average defender this season.
Another way he has made his presence felt so far is his ability to mesh with this tight-knit clubhouse. Kolten Wong the teammate is a good one, and players who have spent time around him will tell you the same.
One source close to the Mariners also said, “You don’t spend that long in the Cardinals organization and not know how to be a winner, and a good guy in the clubhouse.”
There were going to be concerns over any player Seattle acquired this offseason following the Jesse Winker and Adam Frazier offseason that preceded it. While there will be plenty of pessimism around Wong, I truly do expect him to perform this season.