Kolten Wong is back where it all started. The Hilo-born second baseman, one of Hawaii's most accomplished major leaguers, has returned home to talk through the end of his playing days and why he decided that family time beats one more season on the road. The two-time Gold Glove winner and Kamehameha Hawaiʻi alumnus sits down in a new local sports series episode to unpack the choices that closed out his 11-year career and what life looks like after baseball.
In a new episode of Hawaii News Now's "The Long Game," Wong walks through his journey from Hilo to the majors and revisits the moments that defined him on and off the field. The segment traces his path from Kamehameha Hawaiʻi to the University of Hawaii and notes that he was the first position player from UH taken in the first round of the MLB Draft.
Wong first confirmed his decision to step away from the game during his Circle of Honor induction at UH, saying "Pretty much right now, I'm done," according to ESPN. He told reporters that fatherhood and the changing economics of the game factored into the choice and that he wanted to be present for his young sons rather than continue chasing playing time.
From Hilo to the majors
Drafted 22nd overall in 2011, Wong turned his UH success into an 11-season major league career that included stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers, per career records at Baseball-Reference. He finished with a .256 batting average, 86 home runs and 120 steals, and he earned Gold Glove awards in 2019 and 2020 for his defense.
Local ties and what’s next
Since retiring, Wong has kept close to the islands. He suited up for a UH alumni game in January and said he plans to remain involved with Hawaii baseball, according to Aloha State Daily. He has also appeared in local environmental work, including the documentary "Kuleana" about ocean plastic pollution, as outlined by Maui News.
Wong's return to the islands for this conversation underscores the rare arc for a Hawaii-born player who reached the game's biggest stages and is now using that platform to give back. The full episode of the Hawaii News Now series lays out his reasons for retiring and what he hopes to build next; watch the piece on Hawaii News Now.
