Connor Wong is not new to the big leagues. He played in six games last year with the Red Sox, and earlier this year, was called up and took part in another five games. He spent some time on the taxi squad a year ago, giving him an opportunity to observe, even when he wasn't taking part.
But for the 26-year-old catcher, who was called up by the Red Sox Thursday as rosters expanded on Sept. 1, this opportunity feels different.
In the past, Wong was promoted because the Red Sox needed a catcher, and he fit the bill. Now, however, Wong has truly earned a chance to show what he can do in the big leagues. Before his promotion, Wong was batting .288 with an .838 OPS, 20 doubles, 15 homers and 44 RBI in 81 games for Worcester this season. In his last 16 games alone, Wong has nine homers.
Also, the Red Sox catching picture for the foreseeable future is unclear. Having traded away Christian Vazquez a month ago, the Red Sox don't have an obvious replacement in-house for 2023. The left-handed hitting McGuire controls the running game well (throwing out 14 of 40 would-be base-stealers this season), even if he's been underwhelming with the bat over the course of his career.
Kevin Plawecki is a free agent-to-be, and beyond his familiarity with the staff and ability to frame well, there would seem to be no compelling reason to bring him back next season.
That leaves an opening for Wong.
"He's swinging the bat well, driving the ball, hitting the ball in the air,'' said Alex Cora. "Behind the plate, we're very comfortable with him. We like him a lot. I think he's made progress. I think physically, he's a lot different than last year.''
The trick for Cora will be getting enough playing time for Wong over the final five weeks to provide an opportunity to evaluate him, while not walking away from his two other more experienced catchers. Even with their comeback win over the Rangers Thursday, the Sox remain 7.5 games out of the final wild card spot, all but eliminated ... but not officially. This could be a delicate balancing act.
Cora can't bypass Plawecki entirely to see if a tandem of McGuire and Wong could work next season. But for rest of the way, evaluations will be ongoing.
Even Wong conceded that this stint with the parent club feels a bit different. If the Red Sox feel he can contribute in a meaningful way in the future, now is the time to determine that.
"Maybe a little bit,'' he said. "Every time you get to this level, you're trying to prove something. But ultimately, it's about trying to win games.''
Ironically, Wong may have a wrist injury to thank for his torrid August, which no doubt contributed to his call-up. When he returned, he made some subtle adjustments at the plate, careful not to aggravate the injury by swinging too hard. He soon found that a less violent swing produced the desired results, while at the same time, protecting his wrist.
"I was trying to just limit the impact,'' he said, "and it ended up being something I liked and thought it was good for my swing. So I kept doing it. When I jumped back into games (early in August), I wasn't really looking for results immediately, so I was more focused on just seeing the ball and making sure I was swinging at the right pitches, and from there, it kind of turned into having a really good two weeks.
"I think I found out that I don't need to swing nearly as hard to hit the ball hard and fall, so I think that was beneficial.''
From a defensive perspective, Wong put extra work in with manager Chad Tracy, himself a former catcher, along with Rich Gedman, Wong has addressed some deficiencies in his receiving.
"Working on the glove side and the top of the zone (were an emphasis),'' he said. "It's small improvements, but when you catch a lot of pitches over the course of a season it kind of adds up, so it's been really good.''
Wong came to the position late -- he didn't catch regularly until college -- and then he lost time in his defensive development with the minor league season canceled in 2020 before spending some time on the major league taxi squad in 2021. This year, he got more reps and more opportunities to improve and took advantage.
He can recognize that the position isn't spoken for in 2023, but is trying not to look too far ahead.
"I think that's a little too far out,'' he said of the future. "I think my focus has always been get ready for the day and be as well prepared for that as I can be.''
Still, the opportunity exists to make an impression and stake his claim. He'll be in the lineup tonight against Texas. The audition is about to begin.