Earlier this week, the Baltimore Orioles announced they signed veteran second baseman Kolten Wong to a minor league deal. Besides competing for a spot on the Orioles roster, the 33-year-old shares a special connection with top prospect Jackson Holliday. He played with his dad.
Jackson Holliday Reunites With Dad’s Former Teammate
Kolten Wong made his big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 and played alongside Matt Holliday from 2013-2016. Now, he is sharing a clubhouse (albeit in Spring Training) and is competing for a roster spot with Jackson Holliday. Jackson first met Wong when he was about ten years old, and he tagged along with his dad to the ballpark. The younger Holliday made quite the impression on Wong, who told reporters he knew Jackson would be a “beast.”
Wong is an 11-year veteran and a two-time Gold Glove winner with a .256 career batting average. He split the 2023 season between the Mariners and the Dodgers in a very uneven showing before entering free agency. Despite last year’s struggles, Wong has been relatively consistent at the plate and the keystone in his career.
The second baseman signed a minor league deal with the Orioles with an invitation to big league camp on Wednesday. It’s a move that adds more veteran depth and another lefty bat to the Baltimore bench. Wong is competing with the younger Holliday for a 26-man Opening Day roster spot. Holliday is spending his Spring Training learning to play second base and is “excited” to learn from Wong.
While Wong’s priority is to make the Orioles roster, he’s also looking forward to sharing knowledge with the clubhouse. “That’s kind of what I’m here for,” Wong told MLB.com. “I want to play and whatnot, but also realizing that when you get older, it’s about passing on the knowledge you learned.”
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