Blue Jays: Getting to know new prospect Forrest Wall

The prize of the recent Seunghwan Oh deal, the latest addition to the Blue Jays farm system is an intriguing piece who could certainly make an impact at the major league level.

Although he wasn’t originally reported to be included in the Seunghwan Oh trade, 22-year-old outfielder Forrest Wall will soon become a person of interest for all Toronto Blue Jays fans. Wall, a native of Winter Park, Florida, joined fellow Rockies minor league Chad Spanberger in the first significant trade made by the Jays this month.

A first-round pick of the Rockies in 2014, Wall was drafted out of Orangewood Christian High School in Maitland, Florida. Although he began his career as a second baseman, he’s spent the last few seasons transitioning to center field, a position many scouts believe is better suited to his skill set.

In his first professional season, playing for the Grand Junction Rockies of the Pioneer League, Wall excelled, slashing a fantastic .318/.416/.490 with 18 stolen bases in just 41 games. His 2015 season was spent between Class-A Asheville and Short-Season A Boise.

Prior to the trade, he played for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats and slashed .206/.289/.359 with eight steals and six home runs in 190 plate appearances spread across 46 games. In his first game with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, he smashed a solo home run and walked.

According to his scouting report, Wall is an exceptional contact hitter and is able to consistently hit the ball to all fields. While his arm strength leaves much to be desired, his speed and range on the field more than make up for it. Lauded for his defense at second base prior to the move to center, his outfield defense has also been praised.

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With a major league ETA of 2020, he’s a left-handed bat who can steal bases with ease. His former team strongly believed that he could produce double-digit home run totals as he progressed through the minor leagues. So far this year, he’s hit the ball with great power, improving upon his past power numbers quite significantly.

As was mentioned above, Wall has assigned to Double-A New Hampshire and batted leadoff in his first game with the Fisher Cats. Given his knack for making contact and his base-stealing abilities, he could remain at the top of the lineup, at least for now.

Overall, Wall, along with Spanberger (who was studied by our very own Jim Scott) make up what is generally perceived to be a fantastically executed trade by the Blue Jays front office. Even though Seunghwan Oh was an exceptional reliever, his contract status and versatility made it nearly impossible to keep him around.

According to MLB Pipeline, Wall is now the Blue Jays’ number 24 prospect, slipping down a few spots from where he ranked on the Rockies’ organizational rankings. Expect to hear quite a bit about the young outfielder, because his skill set and natural talent could make him an asset to this franchise, and soon.