Forrest Wall
Fans likely already know about Forrest Wall as he has been talked about a good bit during spring training. He is a great speed option on the basepaths for Atlanta but his bat is showing some promise as well.
Wall spent the majority of 2023 with the Gwinnett Stripers and he had a pretty good year, slashing .280/.372/.427 with a.799 OPS including eight homers, 16 doubles, 43 RBI, and 52 stolen bases.
He made his MLB debut with the Braves on July 22 against the Brewers. He appeared in 15 games and recorded six hits while also stealing five bases. Of the six hits, two of them were doubles and one of them was a home run. He ended up with a .462/.533/.846 line during that time as well. Wall was sent down to Gwinnett in August.
His one home run came during a game against the Nationals after he was recalled to Atlanta in late September where he brought great value to the team with his perfect ability to pinch-run when the team needed speed on the bases.
Well #Rays Zac Eflin was looking good until this 3run HR from #Braves Forrest Wall.
— rock riley (@realrockriley) February 29, 2024
4-0 Braves 2nd pic.twitter.com/HPYj2o0Cmj
He has been slugging so far in spring training and looks like the clear favorite to win the fourth outfield spot. Wall currently leads the Grapefruit League in pretty much all offensive categories.
As of right now, his slash line sits at .462/.533/1.154 with a 1.687 OPS over seven games and 15 plate appearances. He's hit three home runs, driven in nine runs, and has stolen one base so far. He's earned one walk and if he can increase those numbers more, he would be a perfect option for late-inning situations.
His defense is a bit below average but as long as he is serviceable in that area, it will be just fine. Wall brings a lot of value to the Braves as a bench option and with how well he's performed so well, makes the most sense. He also has minor league options left and would give the Braves flexibility if they need to make roster spots available throughout the season.
Regardless of what happens, Atlanta has options available that would be able to give them good bench options when they are needed. Depth is always a good thing to have and Atlanta has plenty of it when it comes to outfielders at the moment.
There are just a few weeks left before the 2024 season gets underway and while this isn't a huge breaking point for the Braves, it's definitely one fans will want to keep an eye on.