Kolten Wong's major league journey ended in Los Angeles in 2023. But it was not until Friday that his walk in Game 3 of that year's National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks became the final plate appearance of his career.
Wong, 34, announced his retirement at an event in Hawaii that his playing career has ended. The story was first reported by Spectrum News.
"Pretty much right now, I'm done," Wong said, via Spectrum News. "I've kind of come to the conclusion that I'm probably going to be hanging them up. It's just one of those things where, the game how it's going now, there's no sense of chasing (it). ... I'm a dad now, yes, I'm enjoying that. I'm trying to be the best big league dad that I can be. So I'm going to stick to that."
A mainstay with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2013-20, Wong won two Gold Glove Awards as a second baseman and three Fielding Bible awards from 2018-20.
The NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers signed Wong to a two-year, $18 million contract in Feb. 2021, and he played 250 games for them over the next two seasons, slashing .262/.337/.439 (113 OPS+).
But the slick-fielding second baseman did not make the successful transition to the American League in 2023. He was struggling in his first season with the Seattle Mariners, hitting .165, when he was released in August of that year.
The Dodgers took a flier on Wong and saw him swat two home runs with a .300 batting average in 20 games to end the regular season. He also went 0 for 3 with a walk in the Dodgers' three-game NLDS loss to the Diamondbacks.
Wong tried to come back in 2024, first with the Baltimore Orioles, then the Arizona Diamondbacks. He slashed .271/.339/.383 in 31 games with the D-backs' Triple-A affiliate in 2024, but was not called up to the majors.
That proved to be the last act in Wong's 14 professional seasons. He leaves behind a sterling reputation as an infielder, as well as a .256 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, and .390 slugging percentage in 1,189 games with the Cardinals, Brewers, Mariners, and Dodgers.
Although Wong's time in Los Angeles was brief, he offers another example of how the Dodgers have been able to extract the most value from veteran players in limited roles. His .853 OPS in 20 games as a Dodger outpaced his OPS with any other MLB team.
Wong's four pinch hit RBIs ranked second on the 2023 team, even though he the first four months of the regular season with another organization. Luck? Perhaps. At least in hindsight, it made for a memorable ending to a long major league career.
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