Connor Wong is becoming a force behind the plate

Photo Credit: Red Sox's Connor Wong runs on his single during the second inning. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP

Expectations were high for Connor Wong coming into the 2023 season. For the first time in his career, Wong made an Opening Day roster after ending the 2022 campaign in the majors. He did get off to a slow start offensively, but the former third-round pick has been a menace to base stealers. With each game, Wong is showing why the future behind the plate in Boston is bright.

While Wong has impressed with his defense, he has been one of the Red Sox’s best hitters over the last two weeks. In his latest 15 games, the Houston native is hitting .314 with six runs batted in. After hitting under .200 for most of April, his hot streak has pushed his average close to .250.

Additionally, Wong has shown some power this season with five extra-base hits, including four doubles. On Sunday, he hit his first home run of the season in the Red Sox’s 7-1 win over the Guardians. As Boston got contributions throughout the lineup and secured another series win, Wong recorded his second multi-hit game in 24 hours.

Although the 26-year-old has been hard to keep off the bases, his biggest strength has been his defense. Through 156 innings behind the plate, he has caught six base stealers. The talented catcher has only committed two errors this season and posted a .988 fielding percentage. That defense, combined with his improvement at the plate, has not gone unnoticed by Alex Cora.

“I think Connor, the more he plays the better he’s looking,” Cora told NESN postgame on Sunday. “He put some good at-bats (together) and then the bunt, that was a great one, obviously. He’s a good one. He’s a good one. Defensively, obviously, he’s becoming a game changer. He’s throwing people out and calling the game, but offensively, little by little you can see him gaining confidence.”

While the season is far from over, Wong is making the most of his opportunities. He has been elite defensively and has shown he can hit major-league pitching. The only thing that Wong has left to prove is that he can keep up his recent play for a full season.

As the Red Sox look to continue their winning ways in May, Wong will start the month with a .241 batting average and .675 OPS. He still has to work on plenty, but over the last two weeks, Wong has shown why the Red Sox targeted him in the Mookie Betts trade.

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