The Los Angeles Angels expected to rely on Taylor Ward to be the kick-starter of their offense this season, but some mechanical issues have forced him to try to get right without much leeway.
Prior to the All-Star break, Ward had posted a .695 on-base plus slugging, but over his last seven games, Ward is hitting .292/.485/.667. He has also added two home runs, eight RBI and eight walks.
Angels manager Phil Nevin and the club had banked on Ward being a key piece to their roster after a blistering start to the year. This recent patch looks more like Ward when he’s swinging it at his best, via Nathan Canilao of the O.C. Register:
“I think I’m slowly finding my swing, my approach and just being on time,” Ward said. “Just keeping things simple, that’s the biggest thing for me.”
He’s the jump starter to their offense, and providing two-way star Shohei Ohtani with runners on base is more valuable than Ward’s ability to slug. Nevin discussed his own view on Ward, citing the swing adjustments putting him near where he should be:
“I think the timing is coming back,” Nevin said. “I thought his swings looked a lot better … He’s close, and we know what he can do when he breaks out and gets into a good run.”
When Ward is at his best, he’s a force from the right side with a hidden gear in his legs that makes him a threat to stretch hits for extra bases.
Ward credits his breakout to the Angels helping him out over the All-Star break:
“They (the Angels) brought in some minor-league guys on Thursday, and anytime for me personally when I can get free at-bats, I take them,” Ward said. “So I took advantage of those, and it just put me in a good spot coming off the break.”
The Angels need the 29-year-old to be a sizeable part of their batting order, and he has the ability to get in a groove that feed momentum to Ohtani until Mike Trout returns from injury.
Trey Cabbage enjoying first chance with Angels
Cabbage was originally selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft but hadn’t made it to the big leagues until this point. He spent seven seasons with the Twins before signing a Minor League contract with the Angels prior to the 2022 season.
Cabbage reflected on his journey and is proud to have overcome all the hurdles he faced to realize his dream, carried by his passion for the game.
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