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Buffa: What if Kolten Wong is just an average baseball player?

What does Wong do extremely well on a baseball field? Chew on that for a while.
Scott Kane-USA TODAY SPORTS

Kolten Wong is off to another slow start, bringing into question once again his long-term viability with the St. Louis Cardinals. The bigger question may be simpler: is Wong just an average baseball player?

No, the team won't immediately release him for starting the 2018 season off 6-42 with zero extra base hits. The current situation is ugly. Wong isn't hitting anything hard, bashing a lot of baseballs into the ground or straight up into the air. The string of dull contact led me to bust out a Major League joke this past weekend, threatening Wong with pushups if he were to continue making weak contact at the plate.

The reality is Wong is 27 years old and still hasn't lived up to the potential that arrived with his first at-bat back on Aug. 13, 2013. He was supposed to be a slick-fielding second baseman with pop who could provide stability at the position. Instead, he's had a hard time maintaining full-time status on the field. There's a number of reasons for this. Jedd Gyorko showed up for starters, hitting fastballs all over. Wong also hasn't been able to stay healthy. Consistency is another lost artform on Wong's Major League path.

Perhaps, he's still just destined to be average. There are two ways to look at this. The first would be his most complete season, which was 2015. Wong played in 150 games, hit 11 home runs, stole 15 bases, collected 28 doubles, and his slash line was .262/.321/.386, and his OPS+ was 93 (100 is average for the league). I almost fell asleep typing that. Wong's most impressive season was 2017, where he played in 108 games, smoked 27 doubles, and his slash line was .285/.376/.412, with an OPS+ of 110. Wong, however, couldn't stay healthy enough to complete a full season.

That's the problem. Wong is either impressive in a partial season (2014, 2017), vaguely intriguing in a full session (2015), or disappointing in a supporting part (2016). When will he put it all together? The answer may be never because his talent level simply isn't there, or his body won't allow the process to take its course.

I'll tell you that it's getting late. Wong will be 28 years old in October, which elevates him out of the young division. The good news is his five year contract doesn't grow into double-figures for a couple more years. Just don't expect playing time to be waiting for him.

The injury to Gyorko this month was supposed to give Wong time to own the second base role, but he's found it hard to hold onto. The emergence of Jose Martinez hasn't helped, pushing Matt Carpenter from first base to second at times and third. Greg Garcia will earn more playing time with games like Saturday where he hit two home runs off a lefthander (two more extra base hits than Wong has this year). The infield is going to get real crowded when Gyorko comes back.

Unlike Wong, Gyorko has a unique skill set. He can smoke fastballs, play multiple positions well, and produce consistently. He breathed on Wong's neck the minute he got here in a trade for Jon Jay. Wong can't do what Carpenter and Martinez can do. He's can only play one position and he doesn't even do that at a gold glove level, leaving him in the ordinary zone for players.

In 1,922 career plate appearances, Wong's OPS+ is 90 and his OPS is .696. According to Baseball Reference, he's given the Cardinals 7.5 wins above replacement (WAR) over parts of six seasons, four of them with 100 games played or more. You know what that all spells? Average. Ordinary.

Wong doesn't force a manager's hand and shouldn't push Mike Matheny to think too hard when Gyorko returns. The nature of the game is simple. Whoever produces gets to play. The other guy gets to watch until he earns the right to replace the former. For the better part of his career, Wong hasn't earned the right to be on that field over the other guy.

Look at Tommy Pham. A year ago, he couldn't even crack the Cardinals roster and was waiting in Memphis for a shot. He finally got it, seized the moment, and never looked back. Pham played so well, the Cardinals moved Dexter Fowler to right field. He earned that move. Wong has not. It's simple.

People think he can adjust his batting stance and improve. I disagree. You don't make a career-altering adjustment at 27. It's a very rare thing. Ask Jason Heyward.

Wong's glove has saved runs for the Cardinals, but no one would call him a premier second baseman. How many times has he fumbled the easy grounders? Too many times.

I've written in the past that Wong doesn't deserve the starting role, but that he should be given time to see if he can earn it. Then Martinez came along and forgot how to make a lot of outs. Things change fast in baseball. Wong may soon be looking in from the outside of the party.

Or, he could have a great week against the Cubs in Wrigley Field.

Fangraphs has a similar stat to OPS+, and it's called wRC+. Wong's career wRC+ is 91. That doesn't excite or compel a baseball mind to gather enthusiasm for the future.

There's talk that Wong may be finally cascading downward for good, while others think he can bounce back. Brendan Dooby and Andy Schrag at Viva El Birdos wrote dual pieces covering each stance. They were good reads with solid points and data.

Here's what I think: Kolten Wong may just be an all-around average baseball player, and that's okay..for now.

It doesn't bode well for Wong's playing time. When Gyorko returns, he needs to play. Unless Martinez suddenly stops taking good at-bats, he won't leave the lineup. Paul DeJong can strike out a lot, but he still plays a valuable position and hits for pure power. What does Wong do extremely well on a baseball field? Chew on that for a while.

The Cardinals don't have time to spare this season. As I stated with Michael Wacha's recent slide, the Cards can't afford to wait on player's potential to deliver the package to their talent.

Kolten Wong may soon find himself on the bench, and there's only one person to blame. Baseball is brutal like that.

Thanks for reading,

DLB

*Tip of the cap to Baseball Reference and Fangraphs for assistance in composing this column.

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