BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pittsburgh Pirates are converting 2023 third round pick Garret Forrester to a catcher, splitting his time between first base and behind the plate.
Forrester was selected last year out of Oregon State as a corner infielder, having never caught in college. During a spring meeting on infield defense, he mentioned to the Pirates that he could catch. They put him in front of minor league catching coordinator Chad Noble, along with former catchers and current coaches Ethan Goforth and Gustavo Omana.
“After day one, all of the catching people came back and said ‘That’s a catcher,'” said Pirates farm director John Baker.
Forrester has taken to the position quickly. The position change makes him a guy to watch closer, as he had some of the best swing decisions in the draft last year. This led to a 34.5% walk rate in a brief appearance in Single-A, where Forrester reached base at a .552 rate. This followed a junior year at Oregon State where he batted .341/.485/.522 with ten homers, 12 doubles, and more walks (59) than strikeouts (51).
Hailing from Northern California, Forrester is described as a tough kid who enjoys fishing and hunting during his down time.
“He’s the right mindset and mentality for it — smart, thoughtful,” said Baker. “Great strike zone discipline too, as a hitter, so he understands the zone and what pitchers are trying to do. That’s a good brain to help guide a staff.”
Forrester will likely start his 2024 season in Greensboro, where he should get plenty of time behind the plate. As a corner infielder, there were questions about the average power potential from the 6’ 1″ likely first baseman, which would have put a lot of emphasis on his above-average contact skills and swing decisions.
As a catcher, Forrester’s contact and on-base ability plays up, especially if he can add value behind the plate with his defense.
