The Pittsburgh Pirates have drafted Oregon State third baseman Garrett Forrester in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Forrester is rated 159th overall by Baseball America and 116th by MLB Pipeline.
Garrett Forrester, 3B, Oregon State
Age: 21 | DOB: 11/11/01 | HT: 6′ 1″ | WT: 208 | B/T: R/R
2023 Stats
Forrester hit .341/.485/.522 during his junior year with Oregon State, adding ten home runs, 12 doubles, and walking more than he struck out (59:51 BB/K).
The History
Forrester is the son of former minor league infielder Gary Forrester. He’s been a starter all three years with Oregon State, and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2022. He’s shown great contact skills and elite on-base ability in his time in college.
The Tools
Compiling the Baseball America and MLB Pipeline reports on Forrester.
Hit (55): Forrester can hit, making contact 79% of the time in 2023. He’s got a quick bat, great pitch recognition, and the swing decisions to go along with that. The barrel of his bat stays through the zone for a long time, which is something the Pirates try to teach their hitters.
Power (50): There’s average power potential here, with an average exit velocity of 88 MPH. He’s got more of a line drive, hit-to-all-fields approach that should translate to extra bases and double-digit home runs.
Run (35+): Forrester isn’t a good runner. He stole three bases in six attempts this year, and his speed projects him to eventually move to first base.
Field (50): He was announced as a third baseman, but scouts feel he will eventually move to first base. At six-foot, he’s not the tallest first baseman, but he fields the position well.
Arm (50): The arm strength plays better at third base, but the stocky size of Forrester will eventually move him to first, where his average arm strength will play down.
Overall (40+): Forrester looks like he could be a first baseman who hits for average with average power. That’s a difficult starter profile, as it requires a very high average. His hit tool is his best one, and his bat is advanced enough that he’s already ahead of what Pirates coaches are teaching. He looks like a safe floor to reach the upper levels and serve as MLB depth in Triple-A. The question of his development will be whether he can increase his power, improve his third base defense, or simply hit enough to take the next step.
