Kean Wong Explained

Kean Wong
Position:Second baseman
Bats:Left
Throws:Right
Birth Date:17 April 1995
Birth Place:Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:September 5
Debutyear:2019
Debutteam:Tampa Bay Rays
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 25
Finalyear:2021
Finalteam:Los Angeles Angels
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.167
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:0
Stat3label:Runs batted in
Stat3value:6
Teams:

Kean Keanu Wong (born April 17, 1995) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels. The Rays selected Wong in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut with them in 2019.

Career

Amateur career

Wong attended Waiakea High School in Hilo, Hawaii. He committed to play college baseball at the University of Hawaii.[1] The Tampa Bay Rays selected Wong in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft.[2]

Tampa Bay Rays

Wong signed with the Rays, receiving a $400,000 signing bonus. After he signed, he played for the Gulf Coast Rays of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League[3] where he slashed .328/.377/.390 with 22 RBIs in 46 games.

Wong spent the 2014 season with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A Midwest League where he batted .306 with two home runs and 24 RBIs in 106 games. He was promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2015, where he posted a .274 batting average with one home run and 36 RBIs along with 15 stolen bases in 103 games.

In 2016, Wong played for the Montgomery Biscuits where he batted .276/.324/.368 with five home runs and 56 RBIs in 117 games.[4] In 2017, Wong played for the Durham Bulls where he batted .265/.328/.361 with five home runs and 44 RBIs in 105 games and was named the most valuable player of the Triple-A National Championship Game.[5]

Wong returned to Durham in 2018, slashing .282/.345/.406 with nine home runs and 50 RBIs in 116 games.[6] He returned to Durham for the 2019 season,[7] producing a .307/.366/.464/.830 slash line with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs in 453 at bats.On September 5, 2019, the Rays selected Wong's contract and promoted him to the major leagues.[8] He made his major league debut that night versus the Toronto Blue Jays.[9] He had three hits in 14 at bats in 2019 for the Rays.[10] On September 22, Wong was designated for assignment.[11]

Los Angeles Angels

On September 24, 2019, Wong was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels.[12] He played in one game for the Angels and was hitless in four at bats.[10]

San Francisco Giants

On November 5, 2019, Wong was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.[13] On July 23, 2020, Wong was designated for assignment by San Francisco.[14] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on July 30. Wong did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] He became a free agent on November 2.

Los Angeles Angels (second stint)

On November 12, 2020, Wong signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels organization. On May 29, 2021, Wong was selected to the active roster.[16] Wong would play in 32 games for the Angels in 2021, slashing .167/.194/.233 in 66 plate appearances. Wong was designated for assignment by the team on November 22.[17] He was released by the team on November 24.[18]

Wong would return to the Angels on a new minor league contract on March 16, 2022.[19] He spent the year with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, playing in 128 games. In 497 at-bats, Wong slashed .262/.342/.332 with 3 home runs, 53 RBI, and 41 stolen bases. He elected free agency following wing the season on November 10.[20]

Seattle Mariners

On February 20, 2023, Wong signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization.[21] In 33 games for the Triple–A Tacoma Rainiers, Wong batted .315/.422/.500 with 4 home runs and 24 RBI.

Chicago White Sox

On June 15, 2023, the Mariners traded Wong to the Chicago White Sox.[22] In 17 games for the Triple–A Charlotte Knights, he hit .196/.308/.250 with 1 home run, 3 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. Wong was released by the White Sox organization on July 30.[23]

Personal life

His older brother, Kolten Wong, is also a baseball player.[24] They have a sister, Kiani, who played softball at Hawaii.[25]

His father, Kaha, instructed him on how to play baseball.[24] Wong's mother, Keala Wong, died from cancer.[26]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kean Wong Class of 2013 - Player Profile - Perfect Game USA. www.perfectgame.org. December 14, 2018.
  2. Web site: Rays draft Kean Wong in fourth round. Hawaii Tribune-Herald. October 7, 2014.
  3. Web site: Baseball: Rays' Kean Wong going to minors all-star game. West Hawaii Today. October 7, 2014.
  4. Web site: Kean Wong Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball. November 19, 2016.
  5. Web site: Wong does it all as Bulls win Triple-A title . MiLB.com . September 19, 2017 . November 26, 2017.
  6. Web site: Kean Wong Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball. MiLB.com. October 21, 2018.
  7. Web site: Kean Wong is back with the Durham Bulls for a third season . . June 22, 2019.
  8. Web site: Rays' Kean Wong: Gets call to majors. RotoWire Staff. CBSSports.com. September 5, 2019. September 5, 2019.
  9. Web site: Kean Wong turns double play in Big League debut. Kainoa Carlson. Hawaii News Now. September 5, 2019. September 6, 2019.
  10. Web site: Kean Wong Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History . Baseball-Reference.com . December 5, 2019.
  11. Web site: Rays' Kean Wong: Designated for assignment. RotoWire Staff. CBSSports.com. September 22, 2019. September 22, 2019.
  12. Web site: Wong Heads To Halos. Steve Carney. 95.3 WDAE. September 24, 2019. September 24, 2019.
  13. Web site: Giants hit the waiver wire, acquire three players, subtract two from 40-man roster. Kerry Crowley. The Mercury News. November 5, 2019. November 5, 2019.
  14. Web site: Giants' Kean Wong: Designated for assignment. March 5, 2023. cbssports.com. July 23, 2020 . en.
  15. Web site: 2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled. January 14, 2023. mlb.com. en.
  16. Web site: Angels Select Kean Wong, Designate Drew Butera. MLB Trade Rumors. May 29, 2021 .
  17. Web site: Angels' Kean Wong: Booted off 40-man roster. CBSSports.com. November 22, 2021 .
  18. Web site: Kean Wong: Released by Halos. CBSSports.com. November 24, 2021 .
  19. Web site: RotoWire Staff . Angels' Kean Wong: Returns to Angels . CBS Sports . en . March 16, 2022.
  20. Web site: 2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams. June 12, 2023. baseballamerica.com. November 13, 2022 . en.
  21. Web site: Mariners' Kean Wong: Catches on with Seattle. February 20, 2023. cbssports.com. en.
  22. Web site: White Sox' Kean Wong: Dealt to White Sox. June 15, 2023. cbssports.com. June 15, 2023 . en.
  23. Web site: Transactions .
  24. Web site: Age not an obstacle for Wong. Bowling Green Daily News. July 17, 2014 . October 7, 2014.
  25. News: No time to breathe for Kolten Wong . Derrick . Goold . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . January 10, 2014 . May 24, 2014.
  26. Web site: Wongs fight on . Kevin . Jakahi . . January 10, 2014 . May 24, 2014 . May 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140525213841/http://westhawaiitoday.com/sports/local-sports/wongs-fight-siblings-use-memory-mother-inspiration . dead .