Taylor Ward is having a career year in the power department. He says his hard work is finally paying off.

“Over time you learn yourself. You learn what makes you click. And I think this year is just a testament to that, just going through the struggles and learning from it,” Ward said in an interview in the dugout at Angel Stadium with GV Wire before a recent game.

Ward, a Fresno State star before becoming the Angels’ No. 1 draft choice in 2015, has set career highs for home runs (30), RBI (94), runs (74) and doubles (29) through Aug. 26. And he’s aiming for a career-best OPS with five weeks remaining in the season.

Ward On His Improvements

Why the improvement in 2025? Ward says his swing has always been there. Drill work has helped him swing more toward the opposite field.

“When I do that, hitting opposite field line drives and then when I’m out front a little bit, hitting more pull-side balls in the air … I just think through my drill work and just learning how I operate, that’s just been the main differences,” Ward said.

His advanced numbers do not necessarily support Ward’s viewpoint. Baseball Savant through Aug. 26 shows he pulls the ball in play 37% of the time, hits straightaway 36%; and hits opposite field 28%. The figures are in line with his career totals.

Ward is making better contact, hitting the ball off the barrel of his bat, Baseball Savant says at 14.1% rate. That is his best in his career, and above average for all players.

“I think the power’s always been there. Obviously, I’m a smaller guy. But I truly believe in swing mechanics and bat path and spinning the ball right,” Ward said. “That helps me hit more balls out of the ballpark versus stronger guys in the big leagues.”

The one part of Ward’s stat line that is down is his batting average.

“I think I dug myself a pretty deep hole with that earlier in the year. We still have (five) more weeks left and I’m looking to make a strong push,” Ward said.

Another statistical anomaly is Ward hitting better on the road than at Angel Stadium. Ward said that is just “random.”

His goals for the rest of the season is an OPS over .800. Through Aug. 26, he is at .801.

“That number is honestly what defines us as all-around hitters,” Ward said.

Drafted as a Catcher

The Angels chose Ward with the 26th overall pick in the 2015 draft as a catcher.

But, Ward converted to third base, then the outfield, when he made his debut in 2018.

He called the move “a blessing.” He said it is a grind to memorize hitters, know pitchers and calling pitches.

“It takes a special person for that. But I am grateful now that I’m out in the outfield and just being able to run balls down and hopefully extend my career a little longer because of that,” Ward said.

The transition has been a success with Ward exhibiting a strong arm and leading American League outfielders in putouts in 2024 and again this year.

Now in his eighth season with the Angels, he is still under team control for one more year. He is eligible for free agency after the 2026 season.

Ward contemplates being an Angel for life.

“If they offer me a deal, I’ll most likely consider it and go from there. But, I’m really just trying to finish the year strong and have a good year next year and see where I sit,” Ward said.

Praise From Manager

Interim manager Ray Montgomery praised Ward.

“You can pretty much set your clock to him, right? He’s maybe the most reliable, dependable (player),” said Montgomery, who is leading the team while Ron Washington is on medical leave. “He’s kind of quieter in terms of the profile, but certainly not the importance.”

Montgomery is the sixth Angels manager Ward has played for since 2018.

“It’s something you don’t ideally want. You want more consistency, but it is what it is. And for me, I honestly don’t worry about the manager too much. I just try to go out there and play my game and play my at-bats and do everything I can to help the team win,” Ward said.

Taylor & Taylor

Ward’s given first name is Joseph, like his father. Taylor is a common name in the family.

He even married a Taylor — Taylor Langdon, a former Fresno State softball player.

“My family calls her Miss Taylor, so it’s easier to differentiate who’s talking to who. Even in college, her roommate was named Taylor. We’ve had so many Taylors since we’ve met. It’s a great name and we actually named our kids their middle names Taylor. So we’re going to keep that in the family for sure,” Mr. Taylor said.

Both he and Miss Taylor are from Southern California, but family close by does not add pressure.

“There’s so much more other pressure that we deal with every day, not just being like a local kid, it’s just part of it. And I’m grateful to be this close to home and have my high school teammates and friends come in and see me and it’s a great all around setup,” Ward said.

College Ball at Fresno State

Ward grew up in Florida, but moved to Southern California during high school. From there, he was recruited to Fresno State.

Listed as a criminology major, he had no intention to become a detective.

“At the time of choosing my major, I honestly went in blindfolded with a dart and threw it at a dartboard and just whatever it landed on, it landed on. I was just fortunate enough to honestly make it through school. I wasn’t much of a student at all,” Ward said.

He credited coach Mike Batesole for preparing him for the majors.

“He is definitely a hard-nosed coach. He teaches you life lessons, he teaches you about the game, of course, and just the ups and downs of it, and being mentally strong. So there’s a lot of things that he taught me that I still use today and every day in life,” Ward said.

“Without Fresno State, I would not be where I’m at today for sure,” Ward said.