On Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles made an announcement revealing that they have inked a minor league contract with seasoned second baseman Kolten Wong. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com disclosed that Wong will be part of the major league camp as a non-roster invitee. Wong, who experienced the 2023 season with both the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers, struggled with a .184 batting average, managing 41 hits, four home runs, 27 RBIs, and a .519 OPS. This move marks Wong’s fifth team in his 11-year career.
This development followed shortly after the Orioles signed pitcher Julio Teherán to a minor league deal. Wong faced significant challenges during the previous season, particularly with a .165/.241/.227 batting line as a Mariner. However, his performance improved when he played for the Dodgers, achieving a .300/.355/.500 line with two home runs. Wong encountered difficulties with the sinker, curveball, and sweeper pitches, recording low averages against them. Specifically, he struggled with a 0.61 batting average against the sinker, a .130 average against the curve with a 33 percent strikeout rate with two strikes, and a .143 average against the sweeper. On the positive side, he excelled against fastballs with a .311 batting average and a .459 slugging percentage. To thrive in 2024, Wong needs to enhance his readiness against off-speed and breaking ball pitches.
Before the previous season, Wong had been a reliable offensive contributor, and he stood out as a premier option for second base defensively. Although not known for power or speed, he has accumulated five seasons with double-digit home runs and five seasons with double-digit stolen bases. The Orioles already have veteran utility players in Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo, but if they seek a left-handed bat off the bench, Wong could serve as a viable option.
