At Winter Weekend last year, Alex Cora praised Garrett Whitlock for his physical progress, and this year, the Red Sox manager has another player to highlight for his strong offseason conditioning.
During “Fenway Fest” on Saturday, Cora took a moment to commend Boston catcher Connor Wong for his strength training. Wong has plenty to prove at the catcher position, especially after top catching prospect Kyle Teel was traded to the White Sox as part of the deal for Garrett Crochet.
“He looks strong,” Cora said. “Big shoulders, strong legs. He’s explosive and in a good spot.”
Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse echoed Cora’s praise, telling NESN.com, “He’s in tremendous shape. After catching 130-140 games last season, we saw how physically taxing it can be, but he takes pride in working with the pitching staff and making sure he’s in a position to handle that workload. He’s clearly put in the work this offseason.”
Wong made notable strides at the plate in 2024, hitting .280 with 13 home runs and a .758 OPS over 126 games. His next challenge is to make that production consistent.
“The adjustments he made last offseason and during the year were very intentional,” Fatse added. “We now have a clearer understanding of where he’s at, and we expect him to keep improving. Reducing his strikeouts and putting the ball in play more are key areas we targeted, and I think he can still unlock more potential.”
Wong shared his offseason goals, focusing on maintaining his athleticism and improving his defense, particularly in blocking and receiving, which is even more important given the Red Sox’s strong pitching additions this winter.
“A lot of eating,” Wong joked with reporters at Fenway Park. “Just trying to put on as much weight as possible. I want to be more physical and durable—maybe a little wear and tear, but mainly just trying to get stronger and more physical.”
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