Daniel Bard speaks for injured pitchers everywhere
He's fine, but ...
This has been the lot in life for Connor Wong, a guy who has become a legitimate major league starting catcher yet will always be attached to the shadow cast by the Mookie Betts trade.
It is an existence that thanks to the uneven contributions of the other two players coming back from Los Angeles prior to the 2020 season - Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs - will always have that "but ..." element.
It's partly why the appreciation for Wong hasn't reached the level it probably should. Fortunately for the catcher, days like Sunday help offer the reminder that he absolutely should be classified as part of the Red Sox' solution, not their problem.
The punctuation for Wong's day came on the final play of what would be a 3-2 Red Sox win over the Nationals, with the backstop gunning down a runner in Jacob Young who had been thrown out just once in his previous 27 major league attempts.
The throw offered the final piece to Wong's evolving 2024 puzzle considering he had one thrown out only one baserunner in 15 attempts before going 2-for-4 against the ultra-aggressive Nationals in the series finale.
"He was a little bit banged up in spring training so it’s taken him a while to get into his groove," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "But today it seemed like he threw through the bag, not at the bag. And he’s been working with Tek (Jason Varitek) on his footwork, long tossing and all that. So yeah, good day for him."
Some will also point to the fact that Wong isn't exactly an everyday catcher considering the platoon he is sharing with Reese McGuire. (Wong has started 22 of the Red Sox' 40 games.)
But Sunday allows us to take a step back and understand what Wong truly represents. That is a player who has been the most consistent offensive player when given the opportunity, hitting .348 with a .941 OPS and five home runs in 95 plate appearances. It is also a player who has totaled a 3.22 catcher's ERA while representing the second-fastest catcher in the majors.
It's not as though McGuire doesn't deserve his kudos, as well. The combination of this Red Sox catching duo leads all big-league teams in combined batting average (.338), while sitting second in OPS (.893).
There is also, of course, the dynamic of guiding what has been the most effective pitching staff in all of baseball.
It's uncertain where Wong's existence in Boston will land. He turns 28 years old May 19. It has only been 40 games after a 2023 season that showed signs but didn't pop in 126 games like the Sox had hoped. And then there is the looming presence of top catching prospect Kyle Teel.
Thus far, however, evolution has been encouraging. A fact that was highlighted by one game-ending throw to second base.