Connor Wong found his footing in 2023 in his first full season as the starting catcher with the Boston Red Sox.
Wong slashed .235/.288/.385 with nine home runs in 126 games, growing into his own as a major leaguer with plenty of anticipation to get back on the field in 2024.
"Looking forward to getting going again," Wong told reporters in January during Red Sox Winter Weekend. "Obviously, a longer break than we wanted to. Definitely had some more motivation this offseason."
With the bat in his hands, the 27-year-old returns to the plate striving to offer an improved offensive approach.
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"Still a lot of swing-and-miss," Wong shared. "Trying to cut back on that. More consistent (at-bats) and feeling like I can put together a good at bat."
Behind the dish, Wong showed encouraging flashes, throwing out 18 would-be base stealers. Overall, the Red Sox catcher believes their is still plenty of areas to fix in his game.
"Defensively, there's a lot of things I think I didn't do well last year," Wong admitted. "Some of the receiving stuff. The blocking stuff wasn't very good. Trying to get into different positions and glove angles."
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With several internal arms making up the bulk of the Red Sox starting rotation, Wong's experience with those pitchers gives him confidence in their capabilities.
"We trust our guys," Wong said. "Every one of them has different abilities. This year, if we progress like we want to, we'll get better every game."
As is the case with much of Boston's roster, Wong offers another young player the Red Sox are counting on to elevate his play in 2024.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images