Wallace is Back Batting Second

Once again, I might be in the minority here. Brett Wallace was recalled from AAA this afternoon, and I am happy about it.

Brett Wallace (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Wallace quite frankly, has been a disappointment since he was acquired from the Blue Jays for Anthony Gose in 2010. When the former first round pick was acquired by the Astros, it was the third time he had been traded in just over a year. By that point, he already had begun to lose some of his prospect luster and you started to see some question marks attached to Wallace. But, he was a pure hitter, and it was worth taking a shot at him.

Upon his arrival in Houston, Wallace played 51 games for the Astros and only hit .222. Then for each of the next two years, he dominated in AAA and left a lot be desired at the big league level only hitting .259 and .253 respectively.

In 2011 the first baseman hit .388 in the first month of the season before going cold, and then being sent to AAA. Once back in the comfort of the minor leagues, the top prospect hit .356. The problem though, is that it did not translate to success in Houston later in the season or in 2012.

It is important to remember that Jeff Luhnow played a prominent role in drafting Wallace in St. Louis, but was also there when he was traded to Oakland as part of the Matt Holliday deal. Wallace began this season in Houston, but that only lasted seven games as he hit .042.

Aside from his inability to carryover his minor league success hitting for a high average to the major leagues, Wallace’s power never translated either. However, he is still just 26, so there is a possibility that his .326 average and 11 home runs in AAA this season will carryover to Houston.

At this point, this might be the last chance for Wallace to hold on to a starting job for the Astros. I still think that he can be a productive hitter, but there is also the chance that he will never be more than a borderline major league player. For this reason, I am happy that Bo Porter wasted no time inserting Wallace into the lineup tonight batting second as the designated hitter.

I’m not sure how long this stint with the Astros will last for the 26-year old, as it is possible that he is just a placeholder for Jonathan Singleton. But regardless of the duration of what could be Wallace’s last stint in Houston, I am just happy that he is getting another opportunity.