Connor Wong's offseason work paying off
Over the last few weeks, Connor Wong has been one of the best hitters in the Red Sox lineup. While spring training stats can often be misleading, Wong has made more hard contact than ever before, which has created excitement for what the 2023 campaign may bring.
In 30 at-bats, the former third-round pick has posted a .433 batting average and driven in eight runs. He has also shown some power, as eight of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases. While his success has been a bright spot, it has not come as a surprise to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“He’s made adjustments,” Cora told MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “It started towards the end of the [2023] season. And in the offseason, [hitting coach] Pete [Fatse] came down here to Fort Myers. They started cleaning up a few things with the leg kick and all that.”
While Wong was solid defensively last year, the Red Sox are hoping he can carry his offensive surge into the 2024 campaign. During his first full MLB season last year, he struggled to find a rhythm at the plate. In 403 plate appearances, he posted a .235 batting average and struck out 134 times.
Like in the spring, Wong showed some power. He hit nine home runs and recorded 25 doubles. During the offseason, he has been working to build on his success, and so far, he seems happy with the results.
“To be honest, I want my pitchers to like throwing into me,” Wong said. “I want to take care of those guys. Obviously, I'm making the adjustments to be better offensively. But I think if there's guys that really want to throw to me, that's the most important, but the offense sure does help.”
If Wong can build on his success, the Red Sox should be in good hands behind the plate until Kyle Teel is ready to take over.
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