Run Forrest, Run

Hugh Atkins

I hope Forrest Wall is on the Opening Day roster when the Atlanta Braves begin the season in a little over two weeks. Wall is having an excellent Spring Training, hitting .450 with three home runs and 10 runs batted in after today’s Grapefruit League action.

The Braves are coming off a season in which they won 104 games, and they don’t really have a lot of open roster spots. With reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña, Jr. in right field, Michael Harris, II in center, and off-season acquisition Jarred Kelenic slated for left, Wall clearly is competing for a job as a backup outfielder.

2023 Gwinnett Stripes Team Set

Wall is 28 years old but did not make his major-league debut until July 22 of last season when he entered the game as a pinch runner for Eddie Rosario. I don’t recall ever hearing about Wall before that game, but I was impressed when he promptly stole second base, and then for good measure, swiped third. Not a bad debut for a player who entered the game as a pinch runner.

Wall eventually appeared in 15 games for the Braves last season. He entered seven of those games as a pinch runner and another two as a pinch hitter. Wall only started two games, one as a left fielder and one as a center fielder, but he made the most of those starts, going 4-7 with a home run, two RBIs, two walks, and two stolen bases. The Braves were impressed enough by Wall’s performance in limited action that they added him to their postseason roster.

Hitting .462 with five stolen bases in limited action and following it up with a strong Spring Training may not be enough to justify a roster spot for Wall. However, he had a strong season with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves’ AAA affiliate, last year, hitting .280 with eight homers, 43 RBIs, and 52 stolen bases, playing mostly center field.

Wall’s strongest competition for a spot as a backup outfielder appears to be from Jordan Luplow and Eli White. Luplow is hitting .273 with two home runs this spring while White is hitting .474. Luplow has spent parts of seven seasons in the big leagues and has shown some power; but his career batting average is just .212. White has less big-league experience than Luplow, and his career batting average is.181; he hit .254 with Gwinnett last season. I like Wall’s chances of making the team over these guys.

© T.C.G.

As I mentioned earlier, the Braves have Jarred Kelenic slated for left field. They acquired him in a trade with the Seattle Mariners where he hit just .204 with 32 home runs in his first three seasons. I think the Braves will give Kelenic plenty of time to prove himself, especially if the team is winning. But they need some sort of backup plan in the event Kelenic doesn’t live up to expectations. I believe Wall is their best option to step in if Kelenic doesn’t work out.

Through the years the Braves have had several players that I wanted to see hang around on the bench and be ready to start an occasional game. I always wanted there to be a spot on the roster for guys like Tommie Aaron, Cito Gaston, Rufino Linares, and Francisco Cabrera to name a few. I knew these players weren’t necessarily game changers, but there was just something about them I liked. After his debut last season, I always felt a bit of excitement every time Forrest Wall entered the game. I’m hoping for more of the same in 2024.