Brett Wallace

Wallace enjoyed a career-best season in 2015 at the age of 28, posting an .895 OPS with five homers in 64 games the Padres, playing mostly at first base when both Wil Myers and Yonder Alonso were hurt. Some of that can be chalked up to a relatively small sample and an inflated BABIP (.400), but 107 plate appearances is not a totally meaningless sample. He had a .219 ISO, making hard contact on a third of his batted balls, and walked at a 9.3 percent clip. The problem was making contact in the first place, as he managed a contact rate just over 62 percent, and while he does have some power, he does not have enough to make up for such a low contact rate. He could see time at first base if the oft-injured Myers goes down again, but the team could also shift Derek Norris over to first and rely on Austin Hedges behind the plate.

Wallace looked lost at the plate in April, going 1-for-24 with 17 strikeouts to kick off his 2013 campaign. The Astros subsequently optioned him to Triple-A, which proved to be a wise decision as it resulted in a turnaround for the 27-year-old. Wallace hit .326/.398/.554 with 11 home runs over 60 games for Oklahoma City, which earned him Astros' Triple-A Player of the Month honors for May. When Houston recalled him to the big league club, the left-handed hitting first baseman had respectable numbers in July (.273 batting average, five home runs, 14 RBI) before the wheels came off again to close out the season. Wallace, who will need to earn a roster spot with Houston again this spring, hit .205 with 59 strikouts over his last 44 games and finished the year with a terrible 0.17 BB/K ratio. He will need to improve his walk rate (6.3%) and drastically cut his strikeout rate (36.5%) if he wants to keep top prospect Jonathan Singleton at bay in the minors.

When the Astros finally bid adieu to El Caballo, Wallace got his shot at first base. Though he was unable to replicate his .297/.376/.503 Triple-A line, he showed enough to warrant playing time on the offensively challenged Houston squad. He is not the world's surest glove -- either at first or at third -- so you have to figure that if he can hit well enough to stick in the majors he will probably wind up as the team's DH. The Astros have no reason to rush Jonathan Singleton, so Wallace should have the first crack at first base this spring. With the team in desperate need of offense, the job is Wallace's to lose.

Wallace enters 2012 as a likely utility player after failing to hold onto a starting role with the Astros last season. He was anointed the starter at first to begin the season, but struggled mightily before being demoted in August. On the plus side, he continues to crush Triple-A pitching, this time with a .356/.437/.481 line. If Carlos Lee moves back to left field, Wallace will have a chance to compete at first base. There still appears to be some talent here, and the Astros are hoping he can become a big part of their offense.

After coming over to the Astros amidst the flurry of transactions that sent Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia, Wallace was given a shot at first base right away. The 23-year-old got off to a hot start, but cooled quickly, finishing with a .222/.296/.319 line. Even though he has yet to show it, he has some power and a frame that projects well. The Astros have committed to Wallace at first to start 2011. He'll have to hit well enough to keep Carlos Lee in the outfield, but assuming he does, Wallace could break out.

Wallace headlined the package the A's received from St. Louis in the trade that send Matt Holliday to the Cardinals. He wasn't having the impact season many were expecting, but turned things around at Triple-A Sacramento (.302/.365/.505 in 44 games) after the A's acquired him. In December, he was traded to Toronto as part of the four-team Roy Halladay Cliff Lee deal. There are still portions of his game that need work, most notably his plate discipline (47:116 BB:K in 532 at-bats in 2009), but he gives the Blue Jays a legit corner infield prospect. Wallace has had some questions surrounding his ability to remain at third base and the Jays are officially going to move him over to first base. He'll likely start the season at Triple-A but that could change if Toronto is able to trade Lyle Overbay this winter.

Wallace was the first-round pick out of Arizona State last year, and considering how well his minor-league debut, it won't be long before he's playing in Busch Stadium. After a monster season with ASU, Wallace had eight homers, 36 RBI, and a .337 batting average in 54 games in the minors. He'll start the year with Double-A Springfield, but expect him to rise through the ranks very quickly.