Kolten Kaha Wong (born October 10, 1990) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
second baseman for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
and
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. He made his MLB debut in 2013. Wong bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
From
Hilo, Hawaii
Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...
, Wong starred in baseball at
Kamehameha Hawaii High School and for the
University of Hawaii at Manoa
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Wong in the first round of the
2011 Major League Baseball draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the first ...
, and promoted him to the major leagues two years later. He was named the
National League Rookie of the Month for May 2014. Wong was the Cardinals' starting second baseman for the majority of his tenure with the team, and won two Gold Gloves and three Fielding Bible Awards with the club. During the 2020 offseason, the Cardinals declined Wong's player option for the 2021 season, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. He then signed with Milwaukee, with whom he played two seasons, before he was traded to the Mariners following the 2022 season.
Early life
Kolten Wong is the son of Kolen "Kaha" Wong, who played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC), and spent two years in the minor leagues with the
Reno Silver Sox
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played i ...
in Class-A.
Despite
batting Batting may refer to:
* Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs
* Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...
.280 in 157 games, the elder Wong returned home to
Hilo, Hawaii
Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...
, to raise his family.
[ He rose to prominence as a baseball ]coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
in Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.[ Instead of pursuing a steady career, he took whatever jobs would afford him the most time to teach Kolten the game and about working out, which he emphasized on a daily basis. In time, Kolten Wong befriended ]mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
and Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
star B. J. Penn
Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Penn competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K-1. Penn was the first American G ...
, whose father, Jay Dee Penn, correspondingly befriended Kaha Wong. The Penns ran a gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...
which allowed Kaha Wong to train children how to swing a bat.[
To train as a baseball player, Wong spent two hours daily cutting trees with an ]axe
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...
to improve his strength, and daily sessions in a batting cage
A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting.
The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required bu ...
. He participated in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland where he led his team, Pacific Southwest, to the championship. He also played in the 2007 Senior League Baseball World Series, with his team from Hilo American Little League. His younger brother, Kean, played in the Junior Little League World Series
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
.[
]
High school and college career
Wong was a two-sport star at Kamehameha Hawaii High School in Keaau, Hawaii
Keaau (also written as Keaau) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii. located in the District of Puna. The population was 1,195 at the time of the 2020 census. The population decreased by 12.1% from 2,253 at the time of the ...
, playing baseball and football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
. As a baseball standout, Wong batted .600 during his senior year and was named a co-winner for the 2008 Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year honor. Wong was a top scholar as well.
The Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
drafted him in the 16th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft
The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008.
First round selections
;Key
Supplemental first rou ...
. A scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
**Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
**Scouts BSA, sectio ...
from the Twins presented Wong with a $75,000 contract offer, which he refused, stating that "after taxes, it's not even that much".[ Wong chose not to sign, opting to attend the ]University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, where he played college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
In a game against Loyola Marymount in his freshman year, he hit three home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s (HR). The Rainbow Warriors won a Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
(WAC) tournament in his sophomore year and a regular season championship. Against Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...
in the WAC tournament, he hit the game-tying and game-winning home runs. Wong was a three-time first-team All-WAC selection.
As a freshman, he played center field
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the Baseball positions, baseball and softball fielding position between Left fielder, left field and Right fielder, right field. In the numberi ...
and batted .341 with 11 HR. During his sophomore year, he hit .357 with a .534 slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
(SLG), .436 on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
(OBP), 19 stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s and 40 runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBIs).[ Playing for the Orleans Firebirds of the ]Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
(CCBL) in 2010, he was named a CCBL All-Star and the Pat Sorenti Most Valuable Player. His batting average (.341) ranked him third in the CCBL that summer, his slugging (.452) was fourth, OBP (.426) second, and stolen bases (22) second, while making just four errors in 145 chances for a .972 fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
.[ Wong was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2016.
During his junior year at Hawaii, Wong led the team in batting average at .378 and was fourth in the WAC; he also finished fourth in the WAC in SLG (.560) and third in OBP at .492. Other totals included 48 runs scored, 11 doubles, seven home runs, 23 stolen bases, and 42 ]bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
.[ Wong was named a '']Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
'' All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n in 2011. He finished his college career with a .358 batting average (245 hits in 684 at-bats), 47 doubles, 25 home runs, 145 RBIs, a .563 SLG and .449 OBP. He stole 53 bases in 71 attempts.
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
2011−2013
Eligible for the amateur draft after his junior season at Hawaii, the Cardinals selected Wong in the first round, with the 22nd overall selection, of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the first ...
. According to MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
, he was the #4-ranked prospect in the Cardinals organization. He made his professional debut that season with the Quad Cities River Bandits
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, one ...
of the Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. In 47 games, he batted .335 with 15 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.
After earning a promotion to the Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005.
The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
in 2012, Wong batted .287 with 52 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He was selected for the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. Wong finished the year playing in the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
(AFL), where he batted .324 with 12 RBIs and five stolen bases. He was selected for the AFL "Top Prospect" team for second base after the season concluded.
The Cardinals promoted Wong to the Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...
of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
in , where he spent most of the year. Putting together a 20-game hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 plate ...
in May, Wong collected 30 hits in 70 at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s (AB). He also had 10 multi-hit games during that streak. His totals at Memphis included a .303 batting average with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 107 games, before the Cardinals called him up to the Major Leagues on August 16. He participated in his second All-Star Futures Game in July. He appeared in 32 MLB games, collecting nine hits in 59 AB with one double for a .153 batting average. In December, the Cardinals named him their Minor League Player of the Year for 2013.[
]Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Mike Matheny
Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 13 seasons as a catcher ...
named Wong to the 2013 Cardinals' postseason roster. He played in seven total games between the National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...
(NLDS), National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
(NLCS) and World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. He made his World Series debut in Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
as a defensive substitution
A defensive substitution in the game of baseball occurs when a currently non-playing player is placed into the field in place of another player, typically due either to injury or the appearance of a pinch hitter. In the American League, a pinch ...
and collected a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning in his only Series plate appearance. Wong also appeared in Game 4 when Matheny inserted him as a pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
in the ninth inning. However, Boston closer Koji Uehara
is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), as well as the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (M ...
picked him off first base for the final out of the game, the only occasion in which a World Series game ended on a pickoff play. Boston won the game, 4–2, and went on to win the Series, 4–2.
2014
Wong became the de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
starter out of spring training for 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. The Cardinals had traded third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
David Freese
David Richard Freese (born April 28, 1983) is an American former professional baseball Infielder, infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was a key player during the 2011 Major Leag ...
and second baseman Matt Carpenter moved to third base. The Cardinals signed veteran free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
Mark Ellis to provide insurance and guidance for him. Wong struggled early, batting .225 in April, and was demoted to Memphis. He returned to the MLB club in May after hitting .344 with two homers, five steals, and an .867 on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
(OPS) in 15 games, and also developed a modified swing.
Batting .333 with the Cardinals in May, Wong recorded the highest average for rookies with a minimum of 40 plate appearances. He also made no defensive errors. Wong's plus-7 defensive runs saved led NL second basemen despite spending time in the minor leagues. He was therefore named the National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
Rookie of the Month.[ On June 3, he hit his first career MLB home run, a ]grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
against the Royals ace James Shields. But when he reaggravated a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the month, the Cardinals placed Wong on the 15-day disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
(DL) on June 21. After returning from the DL, Wong hit a double to tie the score 2–2 in the second inning of a July 8 contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. With the score tied 4–4 in the bottom of the ninth of that game, he hit his first walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...
off Ernesto Frieri
Ernesto Frieri Gutiérrez ree-eh'-ree(born July 19, 1985) is a Colombian former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tam ...
. In a seven-game span beginning with a return from that DL stint and ending with the beginning of the All-Star break, he hit five home runs.
After enduring three games with three strikeouts each in a previous eight-game period, Wong finished a triple short of the cycle in an August 2 game against division rival Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. His first career multi-home run game came five days later in a 3-for-4 performance with two home runs against the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. Against the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
on August 10, he notched his second career four-hit game in an 8–3 victory. He batted .254 after being recalled from Memphis, including a .315 average against left-handed pitching.[ Wong started 100 games at second base, finishing with a .249 batting average, 12 home runs, 54 RBI, 42 runs scored and led the club with 20 stolen bases.
The Cardinals won the ]National League Central
The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National League ...
Division. In Game 3 of the NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
versus the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, his seventh-inning, two-run homer broke a tie and provided the final margin in the Cardinals' 3–1 victory. In Game 2 of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
on October 12, Wong hit his second career MLB walk-off home run, a solo shot that secured a 1–1 tie in the series for the Cardinals. This was the fourth postseason walk-off home run in franchise history, following Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National ...
( 1985 NLCS), Jim Edmonds
James Patrick Edmonds (born June 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and a broadcaster for Bally Sports Midwest. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, ...
( 2004 NLCS), and Freese ( 2011 World Series). In MLB postseason history, Wong became the third second baseman to accomplish the walk-off feat, after Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed "Maz" and "The Glove", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A 7-time All-S ...
(1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season, Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the 1960 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5–13, 1960. In Game 7, ...
) and Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992–2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francis ...
(2004 NLCS). For the 2014 postseason, Wong appeared in eight games, hitting three home runs and three doubles. He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year Award
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
voting.
2015−2020
Wong contributed to the Cardinals' early success in 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
. On April 22 against the Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, he had three hits – including a home run – and fielded would-be base hits from Yunel Escobar
Yunel Escobar Almenares (born November 2, 1982) is a Cuban-born American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Na ...
and Wilson Ramos
Wilson Abraham Ramos Campos (born August 10, 1987), nicknamed "The Buffalo", is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals ...
(fifth and sixth inning
In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...
s) on the third base side of second, and turned and threw both out. He hit his second career regular-season walk-off home run against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
on May 3 in the 14th inning for a 3–2 decision. During an eight-game hitting streak through May 10, he batted .517 (15-for-29) with two home runs. For the season, he batted .262 with 28 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 71 runs scored.
On March 2, 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, Wong agreed to a five-year extension with the Cardinals worth $25.5 million, with $12.5 million team option for 2021. He struggled early, batting .222 with a .571 OPS through June 5, and the Cardinals demoted him to Memphis the next day. With Memphis, Wong began to gain experience as a center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
. In his debut with Memphis, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in an 8−5 win over Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
. The Cardinals recalled Wong on June 17. His ninth-inning, RBI double in the July 27 game against the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
drove in the game-winning run for a 5−4 final score, where Jeurys Familia
Jeurys Familia Mojica (; born October 10, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies and the Bost ...
’s consecutive-saves streak had ended one batter earlier to Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the great ...
at 52, the third-longest in major league history. Wong finished 2016 with a .240 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, five home runs, 23 RBIs, and a .682 OPS.
In 2017, Wong bounced back strong despite playing in only 108 games. He hit .285 with four home runs and 42 RBIs along with walking a career high 41 times.
On May 5, 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, Wong hit a walk-off home run against Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
reliever Luke Farrell in the bottom of the ninth inning. His 2-run home run helped St. Louis to an 8–6 victory. On June 2, Wong hit a walk-off home run versus Richard Rodríguez of the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
for a 3–2 win. It was Wong's fourth career walk-off home run. Wong finished his 2018 campaign batting .249 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs along with tallying 19 Defensive Runs Saved in 127 games. Wong was nominated for a Gold Glove
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
, his first ever nomination, but fell short to DJ LeMahieu
David John LeMahieu (; born July 13, 1988) is an American professional baseball infielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs selected LeMahieu in the ...
.
On March 28, 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, Wong hit a two-run home run in his first at bat of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, and hit another later in the game. Wong finished his 2019 regular season slashing .285/.361/.423 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases over 148 games. He led the major leagues in bunt Bunt may refer to:
* Bunt (community), an elite social group from Karnataka, India
* Bunt (baseball), a batting technique in baseball
* Bunt (sail), a part of a ship's sail
* Bunt Island, island in Antarctica
* The Bunt, nickname of the Bunting ...
hits (11). On defense, he had a 14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the best in the major leagues among second basemen. He was nominated for a Gold Glove for the second straight season, and won the award for the first time in his career.
In a shortened 2020 season, Wong batted .265/.350/.326 with one home run and 16 RBIs over 53 games with a .989 fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
. He was awarded his second consecutive Gold Glove after leading major league second basemen in defense runs saved, defensive WAR, double plays turned, and double plays started. The Cardinals declined his team option for 2021, thus making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
Milwaukee Brewers
On February 5, 2021, Wong signed a two-year, $18 million (with a club option for 2023) deal with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. After the 2022 season, the Brewers exercised the $10 million option for the 2023 season.
Seattle Mariners
On December 2, 2022, the Brewers traded Wong to the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
for Abraham Toro
Abraham Josue Toro (born December 20, 1996) is a Canadian professional baseball third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. He was selected ...
and Jesse Winker
Jesse Winker (born August 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners. He was an All-Star in 202 ...
.
Awards
Personal life
Wong grew up an Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
fan. His brother, Kean
Kean may refer to:
* Kean (name)
* Kean (play), ''Kean'' (play), 1838 play by Alexandre Dumas père based on the life of the actor Edmund Kean, and its adaptations:
** Kean (1921 film), ''Kean'' (1921 film), a German silent historical film
** Kean ...
, is also an MLB second baseman. They have a sister, Kiani, who is a softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
player at Hawaii. On December 19, 2013, Wong's mother, Keala, died from cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
.
Wong is of Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese descent. Wong's paternal great-grandparents were Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
.
In November 2015, Wong married Alissa Noll. They met while both attending the University of Hawaii, where she was a track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
athlete. They reside in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
during the offseason, and also owned a home in Creve Coeur, Missouri
Creve Coeur is a city located in mid St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, a part of Greater St. Louis. Its population was 18,834 at the 2020 census. Creve Coeur borders and shares a ZIP code (63141) with the neighboring city of Town and ...
, but sold it after Wong signed with Milwaukee. In March 2021, Wong announced they were expecting their first child. Their son was born that September.
Wong began fundraising to help families impacted by the 2018 lower Puna eruption
The 2018 lower Puna eruption was a volcanic event on the island of Hawaiʻi, on Kīlauea volcano's East Rift Zone that began on May 3, 2018. It is related to the larger eruption of Kīlauea that began on January 3, 1983, though some volcanolog ...
in May 2018 by creating a GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...
page that has raised over $58,000.
See also
* List of University of Hawaii alumni
This article lists the alumni of the University of Hawaii. Alumni who also served as faculty are listed in bold font, with degree and year in parentheses. An asterisk (*) shows those who attended, but did not graduate.
Academics, research, science ...
* St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders
References
;Footnote
Although the 1926 World Series between the Cardinals
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
and the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
ended on the base path, it was on a stolen base attempt by Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, not a pickoff.
;Source notes
External links
*
Facebook Fan Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Kolten
1990 births
All-American college baseball players
American baseball players of Chinese descent
Baseball players from Hawaii
Gold Glove Award winners
Hawaii people of Chinese descent
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors baseball players
Living people
Major League Baseball second basemen
Major League Baseball shortstops
Memphis Redbirds players
Milwaukee Brewers players
Native Hawaiian sportspeople
Orleans Firebirds players
People from Hilo, Hawaii
Quad Cities River Bandits players
Springfield Cardinals players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Surprise Saguaros players