Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Kolten Wong Born: 10/10/1990 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 7"	Weight: 185
	Primary Position: 2B

Listed height/weight appears relatively accurate; short but well built with good core strength and athleticism; little to no concern about the smallish frame holding up over the long haul.

Evaluator	Jason Cole
Report Date	07/25/2013
Dates Seen	06/18/13 - 06/21/13
Affiliate	Memphis Redbirds (AAA, Cardinals)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2014	Low	55	Yes

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	60	Very good feel for hitting; knows his game and executes it; doesn’t try to overstep his boundaries at the plate, a trap many undersized hitters fall into; approach is best described as selectively aggressive; doesn’t often expand zone and will take a walk, but is very aggressive on pitches within the zone and looks to attack; ideal approach for a pure hitter; can use all fields but likes to turn with some authority; hands are quick and strong; shows ability to make adjustments on the fly; employs a leg kick; have some concerns about timing issue often created by leg kick, but was getting it down on time and adjusted to pitchers using slide step and other timing-disrupting mechanisms in this look.
Power	40	Has good sock given his size, but below average power on the whole; shows some gap-to-gap pop to all fields; can turn on a ball with some home run power pull side; projects for more gap-to-gap/doubles power with low-double digit HR annually.
Baserunning/Speed	50	Average runner; 4.20-4.25 times home to first; no reason to believe body will get out of hand or lose athleticism in near future; should maintain speed; plays up a tick on base paths with excellent instincts and baserunning skills; picks his spots well; 14/15 SB thus far in Triple-A.
Glove	60	Instincts and first-step quickness at second base are fantastic; enables pure tools to play up; reads groundballs very well off the bat and gets to his spot; quickness/reads allow him to consistently get in front and center himself on tough balls; range is at least solid-avg; hands are good enough; polished look at second; could have the glove to handle left side in a pinch if absolutely necessary, but best suited for 2B.
Arm	40	Short second baseman’s arm action; below average strength but good accuracy and feel on throws; arm plays fine at second base but lack of strength may be an issue if he ever plays left side in a pinch.

Between his feel to hit, glove, baserunning skills, and overall instincts, Wong is a solid across-the-board player. He’s one of the more complete position players in the minor leagues, particularly when you factor in his polish and the fact that he’s relatively close to the major leagues. Wong won’t light you up with raw tools, but it’s fun to watch, and it’s the type of player who logs a long big-league career as a solid-average regular. While I love his general approach to hitting, I have a few questions about the leg kick and would like to see that over a longer look. I think it could lead to some inconsistency and will, at the very least, always be a watching point in his setup/swing mechanics. I don’t think it’ll keep him from being a fine major leaguer, however.