“I’m not going to argue against Kolten Wong...it’s like Lebron dunking on a middle schooler. It’s to easy and all the points made in favor of Wong are sentimental and emotional.”
“So sick of him being the rally killer in the bottom of the lineup over the last 3 years.”
“I just curse that guy more than any other cardinal in 20 years of living here. That's all the logic I need. No one will ever confuse him as a top 10 2nd baseman. He irks me more than any cardinal ever.
These, friends, are real things (presumably) real people have tweet at me regarding one Kolten Wong.
And that's just scratching the surface.
But, let me be clear: while there is certainly some sentimental attachment to a guy I've watched develop since his very first day of pro ball, my consistent belief in his ability was always based on what I saw of him as an athlete. He's a competitor. He's a sponge. He loves to learn and aims to please. And he's #good.
After that soul-crushing pickoff in the world series in 2013, he was buried year after year by veteran players whose Matheny-given roles squashed his mojo, as far as I was concerned. And the stats proved it. All too often, he looked significantly less than #good.
Something happened this year, though. To start the year, Wong was once again ice cold at the plate. He didn't, however, take that with him to the field. He made routine plays. He made RIDICULOUS plays. And he could probably turn a double play in his sleep.
And he did it almost every night.
But don't take my word for it.
On the year, Kolten Wong he's posted 16 DRS, and a defWAR of 12.4... which *would* be the best in MLB among all second basemen, but he doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify.
And I know, I know. It's the bat that has always held him back in the Big Leagues.
Well, here's a fun fact:
Kolten broke the .200 mark this season on July 6. Since then, he's slashing .324/.370/425.
And that's *before* tonight's game against the Washington Nationals where he's only doubled in a run, and hit his 8th home run of the year.
Not even a relatively short DL stint could derail the run that Wong is on.
While Matt Carpenter is clearly deserving of the awestruck wonder he's received, and Yadier Molina keeps defying nature, and while Mike Shildt and the youth movement are revitalizing the St. Louis baseball scene, Kolten Wong is quietly being, well, #good.
Just like I always told you he was.
Also... Don't think I've forgotten this. (I probably should have gone ahead and bet you my dream car or an island vacation or something...)
“There's not a bet I wouldn't accept that involves Wong winning a single gold glove in his career.”
I'll be happy to collect when Kolten Wong keeps proving the twitterverse wrong.