Tampa Bay Rays call up second baseman Kean Wong
The Tampa Bay Rays called up INF/OUT Kean Wong yesterday and he made his debut yesterday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Kean Wong finally made it to the Show yesterday after being called up and starting the game for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Toronto Blue Jays at second base.
Now Wong’s debut wasn’t anything to celebrate as he went 0-2 with two strikeouts and left two on base. Given the way he has played in the minors, there is definitely a lot of potential.
He was also very versatile in the field as he has played second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions. Playing all of those positions he has only committed 11 errors all season spread across those positions. That kind of versatility is invaluable to any team.
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Now if the Wong last name is familiar, you would be correct as Kean’s older brother, Kolten Wong, plays second base for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wong has been in the Rays farm system since he was 18, was able to make it to the big leagues at age 24 and has been killing it at the AAA club Durham Bulls this year.
He slashed .307/.375/.464 with 10 home runs and 63 RBI’s in 113 games for the Bulls. While he may have 112 strikeouts in the minors, he also has 42 walks, which has helped increase that on-base percentage, meaning he isn’t jus wildly swinging at pitches and has seemed to refine his swing and approach at the plate.
Adding Wong to the major league club will give the Rays another super versatile left-handed bat to use in the lineup. Whether playing matchups against certain pitchers or having him come off the bench in a pinch-hit situation.
Either way, Kean Wong will be an asset and the upside is the youngster is getting major league time during the most important part of the season. The Rays are in a fight for a wild card spot and experiencing the playoff race will be invaluable for the youngster.
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It is essentially a three-team race for the two spots between the Tampa Bay Rays, the Oakland Athletics and the Cleveland Indians. They are all within a game and a half of each other. Here’s hoping the Rays get one of the spots and he can experience the playoffs at the major league level.