Kolten Wong scouting report and fit with the Mariners
Kolten Wong is someone the Mariners have had interest in going back to 2020. Many aren't excited about the fit with Seattle, but Wong would be a nice addition depending on the circumstances.
Going into the 2021 season President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto was interested in signing Kolten Wong to play second base, but then ownership pulled the rug out from under him. Without funding, he was not able to sign Wong who then went on to sign and play two seasons with the Brewers.
He produced two nice seasons in Milwaukee putting together two 2.5 WAR seasons at second base. The Mariners have an obvious hole in their middle infield and while many options remain it may be difficult to obtain a long-term option.
In free agency there are many shortstops that Seattle will likely check in with and make offers to, but the bidders are aplenty and the offers may be much higher than anything the Mariners should be comfortable with. If they miss out on shortstops Seattle will have to turn to the trade market.
Middle infielders with years of control left will be expensive in prospect capital, so Seattle could turn to one year options. They need to add at least two more above average bats to this lineup, and Wong could fit the mold.
It was reported on November 17 that the Mariners had checked in with the Brewers on Wong, which was met with negativity from Seattle fans. There are many reasons why Wong is a great fit in this infield, contrary to the negative reaction Seattle’s interest in him generated.


If Seattle is unable to add a free agent bat they will have to turn to the trade market. This could get expensive quickly, especially if they also want to trade for a player like Bryan Reynolds. Wong is in the final season of his deal, and could be acquired relatively cheap compared to other options. If Milwaukee elects to move Brandon Woodruff or Corbin Burnes they could be suitors for Chris Flexen or Marco Gonzales in exchange for Wong.
Now I am not banging the drum for Wong as my first option to play second base, but I love the fit here if other options fall through. The Hawaii native is a left-handed, contact-oriented bat which we know the Mariners’ front office would love to add. With players like Eugenio Suárez, Teoscar Hernández, and Cal Raleigh already on the roster Seattle could use a player who makes a lot of contact.
The 32 year old rarely strikes out, posting a K% under 18 percent the last two seasons. He also posted a BB% in the 65th percentile last season, meaning he strikes out less and walks more than the average hitter.
His batted ball numbers aren’t going to jump off the page at you, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t productive. Wong has drawn comparisons to Adam Frazier recently on Mariners’ Twitter for their career hitting numbers, but this is truly unfair.
Frazier has only put up a Hard Hit % over 30 percent once in his career, and Kolten Wong put up a number over 34 percent each of the last two seasons. Wong also has four seasons with a WRC+ over 110, including a 116 last season.
For reference, he had the same WRC+ last season as Dansby Swanson, and you could make a very strong argument he has been a better offensive player in his career than Swanson. Wong has elevated his launch angle and found more consistent barrel over the last two seasons, seemingly proving himself as an above average offensive performer.
His defensive prowess has been his calling card over the years, even if metrics hated Wong last season. He was ranked in the third percentile in outs above average, but it is clear to anyone who has watched him that he can still defend.
With the shift ban, second base defense will be more important, and Wong could easily improve Seattle’s run prevention over Adam Frazier. In addition to all of the on-field contributions he is known as a great clubhouse presence and would fit in well with the current ballclub.
While he may not be the sexiest name available for the Mariners to add, he actually fits extremely well. His left-handed, above-average bat would fit well in the Mariners’ order. He also won’t break the bank allowing the Mariners to keep some assets in their farm system.
Fans get dead-set on bigger names, but Kolten Wong makes this team better. Nobody should be complaining about this acquisition if the Mariners choose to add him, in fact I would love to see him starting at second base next season if some other moves fall through.