Taylor Ward Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 1" / 200 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 12/14/1993 (29)
- Experience
- 2
- College
- Fresno State
Taylor Ward Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Taylor Ward News
Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin said on Monday that he's leaning toward having a lineup that features outfielder Taylor Ward at leadoff, with outfielder Mike Trout behind him at No. 2, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani at No. 3 and third baseman Anthony Rendon in the cleanup spot. Hitting first in front of Trout and Ohtani doesn't get much better. Ward didn't finish nearly as well as he started in 2022, ultimately winding up with a .281/.360/.473 slash line with a career-high .833 OPS, career-high 23 home runs, 65 RBI, 73 runs scored and five stolen bases in 135 games played. Durability could be in question for the 29-year-old outfielder, but he hits the ball hard and will be a regular as long as he's healthy, making him a very attractive mid-round outfield target in fantasy.
The Los Angeles Angels and outfielder Taylor Ward avoided salary arbitration on Friday by coming to an agreement on a one-year, $2.75 million deal. Ward had a .281/.360/.473 slash line with career-highs in OPS (.833), home runs (23), RBI (65), runs scored (73), stolen bases (five) and games played (135) for the Halos in 2022 in his fifth major-league season. The 29-year-old didn't hit quite as well after returning from several different injuries during the year, but he was one of a few bright spots for the Angels. With better health in 2023, Ward could be a fantasy steal.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward and relievers Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera were all placed on the injured list on Friday ahead of the team's weekend series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. All three players won't travel to Canada because of their vaccination status. It's bad timing for Ward, who has six hits (one homer) and two RBI in his last three games to stop a slump that he's been going through in August. With Ward away from the team, Ryan Aguilar is getting the nod in right field and will hit eighth on Friday against Blue Jays right-hander Mitch White. Aguilar, 27, will be making his major league debut against Toronto. In 88 games at Double-A Rocket City this year, he's hit .280/.427/.517 with 15 long balls, 48 RBI, 55 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
Taylor Ward Stats
Last 10 Games
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward had a career year at the plate in 2022, slashing .281/.360/.473 with 23 homers, 73 runs, 65 RBI, and five stolen bases over 135 games. His Statcast numbers agree; a .268 xBA and .474 xSLG. Ward struck out a career-best 21.3% thanks to a 29.1% and 23.7% whiff rate off of breaking balls and offspeed pitches, respectively (35.0% and 34.0% in 2021), and only chased pitches at a 20.6% clip. The former first-rounder set a career-high 12.4% barrel rate while posting a 69th-percentile average exit velocity and hardly hit it on the ground (35.5% groundball rate). Although Ward's never been this dangerous with the bat, there were signs of his potential in the past. He was on pace for 20 bombs in 2021 (eight in 65 games), posting a 10.3% barrel rate, and has always had solid line drive rates (27.6% career mark). Ward's rough patch from June til August might turn fantasy managers off. But the 28-year-old still posted an expected slugging of at least .410 in every month except July (.354 xSLG). The 28-year-old has had 79th-percentile sprint speed the previous two seasons and stole 38 bags over 490 minor league games, so the five steals from this season is probably the floor for next year. Ward will do a bit of everything, so his 137 ADP is fair, and his Steamer projections offer greater value than more expensive outfielders such as Nick Castellanos (122 ADP) and Kris Bryant (118 ADP).
