By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Last year, Tampa Bay Rays farmhand Kean Wong missed his chance to play in the Arizona Fall League, considered a finishing school for top prospects.
The second baseman and 2013 Waiakea graduate had a steady season for the Charlotte Stone Crabs, an Advanced A ballclub in the Florida State League.
He batted .274 with a .319 on-base percentage and a .652 OPS in his first season against pitchers who don’t just throw hard but have much better command.
His brother Kolten Wong, the St. Louis Cardinals second baseman, played in the AFL in 2012, then went to Triple-A and made his big league debut in 2013.
Like his older brother, Kean Wong, 21, has jumped a level after every season, but he couldn’t play in the AFL because he injured his right wrist.
He’s playing for Double-A Montgomery Biscuits in the Southern League, where a host of top picks from the MLB draft reside.
Wong was told by the Tampa Bay brass to take it easy during the last offseason, the first time in his life he didn’t work out daily.
On the mlb.com top 30 prospect list for the Tampa Bay Rays, Wong is not ranked, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a diamond gem in the Rays’ eyes.
The Rays assigned him to the AFL again. No official release has been made, but his dad Kaha Wong confirmed the good news.
The AFL’s tentative schedule starts on Oct. 11 and concludes on Nov. 19 with the championship game.
As the leadoff hitter, Wong went 1 for 4 in in the Biscuits’ 1-0 home win over the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox affiliate).
He’s batting .271 with five homers and 54 RBIs with a .678 OPS. Even better, Wong, a left-handed hitter, is holding his own against southpaws with a .269 batting average.
The Barons are loaded with high-end talent. Chicago’s No. 3 prospect right-hander Spencer Adams, No. 7 third baseman Trey Michalczewski, No. 10 left-hander Jordan Guerrero, No. 14 outfielder Courtney Hawkins, No. 15 righty Tyler Danish, No. 16 southpaw Brian Clark, and No. 22 right-hander Thad Lowry are on the roster.
Pretty much every Double-A ballclub has that type of talent, and the AFL will be an upgrade. That’s because organizations send their best prospects to Arizona, from those at Triple-A on down.
Wong is not on mlb.com’s Tampa Bay Rays’ list of top 30 prospects, but his second assignment to the AFL speaks volumes about his status.
He’ll also have a cheering section because Kaha Wong will take his Big Island Baseball team to Arizona showcases.
To join Kaha Wong’s Big Island Baseball club, call 895-4595.
