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The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
by Carp4Cy
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 12:57 pm
by Bomber1
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
I’ll be extremely disappointed if Wetherholt doesn’t have a better career than Wong, who:
1. Had to be sent down several times after his rookie year.
2. Had a low baseball IQ.
3. Got picked off 1B to end a WS game.
I’m hoping and believe that JJ’s game will be smarter, better, and longer-lasting.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 13:03 pm
by Bushiro
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
Way more offensively....JJ won't be as streaky either...
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 13:20 pm
by TraveledLessRoad
If he has a Kolten Wong type of career, that'll be disappointing. I'm not saying he will achieve this, but as the 7th overall pick (who seemingly should have gone even earlier), I'm certainly hoping for more of a Trea Turner type of career.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 13:33 pm
by Ronnie Dobbs
Wong was better than he got credit for with some Cardinals fans, but I would consider it a disappointment if JJ had a similar career. If he had a rookie season like Wong, I think that would be okay, but I still expect he will do better than that.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 13:45 pm
by Cardinals4Life
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
OMG GAWD NO!!!!!!
Wong sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If JJ.is only Kolten Womg, then we are screwed.
FYI, JJ will be and is 1000x better than Kolten Wong!
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 14:26 pm
by Carp4Cy
Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 13:45 pm
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
OMG GAWD NO!!!!!!
Wong sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If JJ.is only Kolten Womg, then we are screwed.
FYI, JJ will be and is 1000x better than Kolten Wong!
Did he though? 23 career war? What is the average career war for a mid first round pick?
What is the threshold for sucking And what is the average career war for today’s roster??
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 14:34 pm
by Cardinals4Life
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 14:26 pm
Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 13:45 pm
Carp4Cy wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
for comparison KW OPS'd .835 at AAA in 2013 with .303 BA, and .869 in AAA including other partial years.
JJW hit .306 and OPS of .931 across 2 levels last year.
In his rookie year Kolten hit .249/.680 witih 2.4 bWAR and 3rd in ROY voting. Won 2 GGs but never an AS game selection. Topped out at 12 HRs that rookie year, highest WAR was 5.4 in 2019, and posted a >.770 OPS 4 different seasons. Career WAR of nearly 23 is significant.
Will we be satisfied (and would our franchise compete for WS) if JJW tracks close to Kolten's career or are we Expecting even More?
OMG GAWD NO!!!!!!
Wong sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If JJ.is only Kolten Womg, then we are screwed.
FYI, JJ will be and is 1000x better than Kolten Wong!
Did he though? 23 career war? What is the average career war for a mid first round pick?
What is the threshold for sucking And what is the average career war for today’s roster??
Don't need WAR. Don't need any average WAR. Just know that Wong SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!! BIGTIME!
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 14:36 pm
by rockondlouie
OH H E L L NO!
JJW should be a much better hitter than Ding-Dong-Wong (career: .256 .330 .390 .719 ).
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 15:29 pm
by AZ_Cardsfan
Some expect the next Rogers Hornsby or Joe Morgan. Let's not set expectations to the moon. Baseball is hard.
If his floor ends up Delino Desheilds I accept that as a win. If he is closer to Ben Zobrist I am ecstatic and we got a superstar. Anything higher than that is elite core talent and a generational 2B man.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 15:50 pm
by Cardinals4Life
AZ_Cardsfan wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 15:29 pm
Some expect the next Rogers Hornsby or Joe Morgan. Let's not set expectations to the moon. Baseball is hard.
If his floor ends up Delino Desheilds I accept that as a win. If he is closer to Ben Zobrist I am ecstatic and we got a superstar. Anything higher than that is elite core talent and a generational 2B man.
He will be better than DeShields and Zobrist.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 15:54 pm
by jcgmoi
People hated Wong because he wasn't Joe Morgan.
If the Cards had won a WS with Wong the same people would have hated him because he wasn't Julian Javier.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 15:57 pm
by AZ_Cardsfan
Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 15:50 pm
AZ_Cardsfan wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 15:29 pm
Some expect the next Rogers Hornsby or Joe Morgan. Let's not set expectations to the moon. Baseball is hard.
If his floor ends up Delino Desheilds I accept that as a win. If he is closer to Ben Zobrist I am ecstatic and we got a superstar. Anything higher than that is elite core talent and a generational 2B man.
He will be better than DeShields and Zobrist.
I hope you are right. But if he isn't - ???
Zobrist is 27th all time 2B by JAWs war.
Re: The Keystone: JJW vs Kolten Wong - would that be good enough?
Posted: 10 Feb 2026 15:58 pm
by ramfandan
jcgmoi wrote: ↑10 Feb 2026 15:54 pm
People hated Wong because he wasn't Joe Morgan.
If the Cards had won a WS with Wong the same people would have hated him because he wasn't Julian Javier.
Yes, another JJ ! Julian Javier