Connor Wong is beginning to find his groove both offensively and defensively for the Red Sox.
The catcher came to Boston as part of the Mookie Betts trade in February 2020, and has been making his case to be the No. 1 backstop as he continues to heat up. Wong made the Opening Day roster, a move that sent Jorge Alfaro to Triple-A Worcester and has made an impact for the Red Sox during his playing time.
But it’s more than his .284 batting average that’s helping the Red Sox.
Wong has the second-fastest pop time at 1.88 among Major League Baseball catchers, per Baseball Savant. Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is the only one above him with a 1.82 pop time. Others in the top five include Yainer Diaz of the Houston Astros, Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves and Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
What exactly is pop time? According to MLB, “On steal or pickoff attempts by a catcher, Pop Time represents the time elapsed from the moment the pitch hits the catcher’s mitt to the moment the intended fielder is projected to receive his throw at the center of the base.”
In short: Wong is quick to get the throw off once the ball hits his mitt.
Might Wong be on his way to becoming a franchise catcher for the Red Sox? That remains to be seen but he’s certainly on a good path right now.
The Red Sox return to action after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays when they begin a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday night. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
