Connor Wong

It was Reese McGuire starting the first two games of the season at catcher for the Red Sox, but Wong quickly wrestled the job away from him and wound up easily pacing the club with 105 starts behind the plate. Wong had an above-average barrel rate in the 56th percentile and a max exit velocity in the 88th percentile, so he's capable of making hard contact. The 27-year-old is also a terrific athlete for a catcher, moonlighting some at second base while also stealing eight bases to go with a sprint speed in the 76th percentile. Wong's plate discipline (33.3 percent strikeout rate, 5.5 percent walk rate) is dreadful, though, and it's been that way dating back to the minors. Double digits in home runs and stolen bases are possible if he gets regular playing time in 2024, but Wong's xBA of .208, not his actual .235 average, is probably closer to what we should expect.

Wong received some semi-regular playing time down the stretch for the Red Sox and had a .175/.283/.325 slash line in 22 games during the final month of the season. He split playing time with Reese McGuire, who had significantly more offensive success with an .875 OPS during that same stretch. Wong's major-league numbers don't mean much given he has only 70 plate appearances to his name, and he continues to hit well at the Triple-A level with an .832 OPS and 15 home runs in 2022. The departure of Christian Vazquez leaves Boston without a clear No. 1 option behind the plate, but the team is looking to upgrade the position during the offseason. Wong should have a chance to secure a spot on the big-league roster for 2023, though he's unlikely to receive consistent starting opportunities outside of an injury.

When Wong was traded to the Red Sox in the deal that sent Mookie Betts to Los Angeles, he immediately slotted in as Boston's top catching prospect. The backstop was coming off a standout 2019 minor-league campaign during which he slashed .281/.336/.541 with 24 home runs across two levels, and his .349 batting average in a 40-game stint at Double-A helped add buzz to his profile. Wong is not without flaws -- his 30.7 K% over the course of his minor-league career is cause for significant concern -- but he runs well for a catcher and has legitimate 20-homer power. Those skills alone could make him a future starter at the position in fantasy, with the potential for something greater if he can adjust his plate approach to make more contact. Boston is set behind the plate next season, so look for Wong to open at Triple-A, where he'll attempt to prove he can extend his past success to the next level.