Kolten Wong, Second Base, Seattle Mariners


Date of Birth: 10/10/1990
Birthplace: Hilo, Hawaii
College: University of Hawaii

Kolten Wong, second baseman for the Seattle Mariners, is following in the footsteps of his father who was a minor league player. Wong was originally drafted in 2008 by the Minnesota Twins but he opted instead to go to the University of Hawaii. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 and he spent 2011, 2012, and most of last year in the minor leagues. He ended his minor league career with a .301 batting average.

In 2013, Wong played in 32 games with the Cardinals and he batted just .153. He played at second base in 18 games.

Wong finished the 2014 season with 100 hits, 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 83 strikeouts to 24 walks, and a .249 batting average in 113 games. As a second baseman, he made 273 assists, 70 double plays, 196 putouts, and 12 errors in 107 games. In the postseason, he had 7 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, and 1 stolen base in 29 at-bats in 8 games.

In 2015, Wong batted .262 with 146 hits, 28 doubles, 15 stolen bases, and 61 RBIs in 150 games. As the Cardinals' second baseman, he made 410 assists, 107 double plays, 312 putouts, and 17 errors in 147 games. He batted .143 with 2 hits, including a home run, in 14 at-bats in 4 postseason games.

Wong signed a five-year extension with the Cardinals on March 2, 2016. The contract includes a sixth year club option.

Wong finished the 2016 season with 75 hits and a .240 batting average in 121 games. Defensively, as the Cardinals' second baseman in 88 games, he made 256 assists, 67 double plays, 132 putouts, and 8 errors.

In 2017, Wong batted .285 in 108 games with the Cardinals. He finished the season with 101 hits, 27 doubles, 42 RBIs, and 60 strikeouts to 41 walks. Defensively, as the Cardinals' second baseman in 106 games, he made 276 assists, 78 double plays, 191 putouts, and 10 errors.

Wong finished the 2018 season with 88 hits, 18 doubles, 38 RBIs, 60 strikeouts to 31 walks, and a .249 batting average in 127 games. Defensively, as the Cardinals' second baseman in 119 games, he made 306 assists, 73 double plays, 165 putouts, and 9 errors.

Wong had a strong offensive and defensive season in 2019. He finished the season with 136 hits, 25 doubles, 24 stolen bases, 59 RBIs, 83 strikeouts to 47 walks, and a .285 batting average in 148 games. A strong defensive player, he won his first Gold Glove and his first Defensively Player of the Year award as a second baseman. He played second base in 147 games and he made 412 assists, 103 double plays, 250 putouts, and 9 errors. In the postseason, he batted .206 with 7 hits, 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and 6 strikeouts to 4 walks in 34 at-bats in 9 games.

Wong played in 53 games in 2020. He finished the season with 48 hits, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 16 RBIs, 30 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a .265 batting average. Defensively, he played all 53 games at second base, and he played so well that he won his second Gold Glove. In the postseason, he batted .214 with 3 hits and 4 RBIs in 14 at-bats in 3 games.

Wong became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on February 5, 2021. He spent time on the IL in 2021 with a left oblique strain and left calf tightness. He finished the season with 121 hits, 32 doubles, 14 home runs, 50 RBIs, 83 strikeouts to 31 walks, and a .272 batting average in 116 games. Defensively, as a second baseman in 113 games, he made 229 assists, 51 double plays, 164 putouts, and 2 errors. In the postseason, he had 1 hit in 15 at-bats in 4 games.

Wong was traded to the Mariners on December 2, 2022.

Career batting statistics for Wong through 2021 include:

  • 968 games played
  • 824 hits
  • 156 doubles
  • 331 RBIs
  • 546 strikeouts to 264 walks
  • .262 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Wong at second base through 2021 include:

  • 898 games played
  • 2,334 assists
  • 586 double plays
  • 1,491 putouts
  • 69 errors
  • .982 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Wong's brother Kean plays in the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league system.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Kolten Wong
ESPN - Kolten Wong