A two-time Gold Glove winner at second base, the 33-year-old Wong entered the 2024 season aiming to bounce back from a rough 2023 campaign, where he batted just .183/.256/.263 in 250 plate appearances with the Mariners and Dodgers. He initially signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles and spent spring training with them but opted out when he didn’t make the team.
Wong subsequently joined the D-backs on a minor league contract on April 10. Over 31 games in Reno, Wong posted a .271/.339/.383 batting line. While this appears respectable, it is about 18% worse than average (by measure of wRC+) in the offensively charged environment of Triple-A’s Pacific Coast League. He hit two home runs, stole two bases, and collected six doubles.
Wong also showed slight improvements in his strikeout and walk rates, which were 21.2% and 7.2% in the major leagues last year but improved to 18.2% and 8.3% in Reno.
Despite a tough 2023, Wong is only one season removed from a solid performance with the 2022 Brewers, where he hit .251/.339/.430, stole 17 bases, hit a career-high 15 home runs, and posted a strong 9.3% walk rate with a lower-than-average 17.7% strikeout rate. From 2017-2022, Wong was an above-average regular at second base for St. Louis and Milwaukee, hitting a combined .269/.349/.414 with 54 homers, 72 steals, a roughly average walk rate, strong bat-to-ball skills, and excellent defense.
The D-backs haven’t needed additional help at second base, with Ketel Marte posting a .275/.322/.493 slash line in his first 233 plate appearances this season. Additionally, other second base options on the 40-man roster were ahead of Wong in the depth chart.
However, teams like the Red Sox, White Sox, and Angels, who have struggled with their second basemen this season, might find Wong to be a valuable depth option or even an immediate major league replacement if they want to send a struggling young player back to Triple-A for further development.
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