The Boston Red Sox shouldn't have Connor Wong in a lineup again if they're actually serious about getting this team back to the playoffs. Obviously, they don't have another option right now. They brought in Blake Sabol during the offseason, which proved ill-fated, and the organizational depth at catcher behind Carlos Narvaez and Wong is virtually nonexistent. But with how historically bad Wong has been offensively this season, a Red Sox team with postseason aspirations can't viably have a near-certain out in the lineup every few days when Narvaez needs to sit.
Wong's numbers are as ugly as they come. He's slashing .144/.228/.144/.372 on the season with no extra-base hits and just one RBI. His OPS+ sits seven points higher than mine or anyone's reading this at 7 when the league average is considered 100. But perhaps the best way to see how negatively he's affected the Red Sox is how many times he's wasted opportunities for them, which has been at a historic pace to this point.
With runners in scoring position this season, Wong is 0-for-30, which includes one sac fly and three walks. In a single season since runners in scoring position have been tracked, Wong now has the second most at-bats and plate appearances without a hit in MLB history behind only Koyie Hill in 2011. He's also only one of 33 players to be hitless with more than 25 plate appearances in a single season.
Narvaez is a rookie and, while he's been phenomenal, he's already showing signs of fatigue. He needs a quality backup. Whether it's because he's the final remaining piece from the Mookie Betts trade or because of familiarity, though, the Red Sox have seemed content with Wong. They shouldn't be, though. He'll likely be in the lineup on Wednesday, but Boston simply can't move past the trade deadline with Wong as the primary backup catcher.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
The case for the Red Sox keeping Connor Wong is flimsy
Despite the fact that most of the Red Sox fan base is ready to ship Wong to Timbuktu on the next available flight/voyage/available means of transportation, there are some that have spoken out that they would be content with keeping the veteran as the backup to Narvaez for the rest of the season. Their case, however, seems a bit flimsy to me.
Said case essentially centers around three things. First, Wong has shown significant improvements defensively from last season when he was one of the worst defensive catchers in the sport. Secondly, Boston's pitching staff is familiar with Wong, and he has seemed to be the exclusive backstop for someone like Brayan Bello. Thirdly, there are still some holding out hope that Wong will find success at the plate after posting a .758 OPS last season.
All of that is exceptionally flimsy, though. On the defensive front, yes, he's undeniably been better than a year ago. He's gone from -10 Defensive Runs Saved in 2024 to 1 Defensive Run Saved in 2025. Having said that, he's still below league-average in both Blocks Above Average and Pop Time while being only slightly above average in framing. His improvement still makes him essentially replacement level defensively, and that's while being one of the worst hitters in baseball this season.
As for the familiarity with the pitching, that's probably the best point being made — but it's also not something I'd worry about. Narvaez was unfamiliar with the staff and obviously has settled in. Bringing in a veteran to replace Wong likely wouldn't mean Boston would be desperately searching for answers in that department. At worst, it's probably a slight learning curve that gets ironed out quickly.
Where I push back the most is with the offense, though. Yes, he had over a .750 OPS last season, but that was quite literally the product of a hot first half. After the All-Star break in 2024, Wong had a middling .696 OPS with more strikeouts in 56 games (59) than he'd had in the first 70 games from the first half (55). The regression was already showing, and now he's bottomed out since then. That, in itself, doesn't give me much hope that he returns to what we saw from April through June in the 2024 season.
Boston should show urgency to upgrade from Wong at the trade deadline
All this paints the picture of a player who simply is holding the Red Sox back. Despite a backup catcher not often being explicitly stated as a target for Boston at the trade deadline it should absolutely be. This team needs someone to first just give Narvaez in his first full MLB season more rest and relief, but also someone who can not be an active detriment to the offense whenever he does play, which is what Wong has been.
The balance with that, of course, is that the Red Sox aren't alone in needing catching depth — it's largely a league-wide problem — and also shouldn't overextend themselves for an option like Sean Murphy unless it's part of a bigger deal. So where does that ultimately leave Boston in terms of trying to upgrade from and replace Wong?
At the end of the day, the Sox would benefit greatly from being savvy. If they're trading for a No. 2 starting pitcher, try to maneuver for a solid catching prospect near getting called up to the majors. Or, look for an expiring veteran, someone like a familiar face in Christian Vazquez with the Twins, as part of a bigger deal as well.
The undeniable truth, though, is that Wong is a black hole in the Red Sox lineup right now. Despite what he does still bring to this team, if Boston and Breslow are serious about making a run, Wong has to go in order to make this offense and depth more functional.