Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals
By most metrics — at least when talking about wRC+ (108), fWAR (3.7), and hard-hit rate (34.0%) — Wong had a career year for the Cardinals. And as one might imagine based off the scope of this article, it wouldn’t have happened without a hot streak throughout the second half.
Wong’s ISO didn’t change much (.133 to .146), but his batting average went up more than 100 points during this time. That led to a rise in wRC+ from 86 to 139. His quality of contact actually got worse in both the soft-hit rate and hard-hit rate categories, but his line-drive rate did jump from 17.6% to 24.4%. This was part of what enabled the second baseman to see his BABIP go from .269 prior to the All-Star break to .395 after it.
What will be key for Wong heading into 2020 is actually getting his season off to a good start — his 2018 campaign had a similar progression from the first half (84) to the second half (127). As he enters the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $25.5 million deal, the 29-year-old could very well have his impending contract status in the back of his mind (even with a 2021 club option on the table).
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