South Side Hit Pen Top Prospect No. 99: Ti'quan Forbes
Summer setback: After a promising 2018 with the Dash, Forbes struggled at Birmingham last year. (Winston-Salem Dash)
Ti’Quan Forbes
Third baseman
6´3´´
220 pounds
B/T: R/R
Other positions played: Second Base, First Base
Age: 23
SSHP rank among all third basemen in the system: 5
Top Prospect ranking a year ago: 46
Forbes was a second round pick out of Columbia, Miss. drafted by Texas back in 2014. He slowly worked his way up the Rangers ladder, as he finished the 2016 season with Hickory (A). During the 2017 season, he received a mid-year promotion to Down East (AA), where he was slashing just .227/.280/.308 when he was traded to the White Sox that August 31 for Miguel González.
Forbes’ season with Winston-Salem in 2018 has been his best statistically to date, at least in the OPS department. In 119 games for the Dash, he slashed.273/.313/.391 with 21 doubles, six triples, six homers, 51 RBIs, four stolen bases, 21 walks (4.5%) and 74 strikeouts (16.0%). That performance helped his prospect status spike, as he jumped into the South Side Sox Top 50.
With Birmingham in 2019, however, Forbes slashed just .242/.333/.327 in116 games as he produced 18 doubles, three triples, three homers, 31 RBIs, four stolen bases, 45 walks (10.0%) and 106 strikeouts (23.6%).
For someone his size, you’d expect more power. While Forbes has played second base frequently throughout his minor league career, he profiles much better as a third baseman if he could begin hitting for power. On the positive side, Forbes in 2019 more than doubled his walk total from the year before, so it’s possible he may be coming into his own.
In the meantime, expect Forbes to return to Birmingham for 2020.