:Taylor Ward

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Taylor Ward

|image = Taylor Ward 1 61824 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Ward with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024

|alt = Ward standing on the infield grass and holding his bat vertically in front of him.

|team = Los Angeles Angels

|number = 3

|position = Left fielder

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|12|14}}

|birth_place = Dayton, Ohio, U.S.

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = August 14

|debutyear = 2018

|debutteam = Los Angeles Angels

|statyear = April 17, 2025

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .252

|stat2label = Hits

|stat2value = 501

|stat3label = Home runs

|stat3value = 82

|stat4label = Runs batted in

|stat4value = 250

|teams =

Los Angeles Angels ({{mlby|2018}}–present)

}}

Joseph Taylor Ward (born December 14, 1993) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Ward was raised in Central Florida before moving to Indio, California, where he attended Shadow Hills High School and emerged as a notable baseball prospect as a catcher. He played three seasons of college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs, earning multiple conference accolades. The Angels drafted Ward in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, 26th overall. After spending four seasons in the Angels farm system and being converted to a third baseman, he made his MLB debut in 2018.

In his first four major league seasons, Ward did not find consistent playing time and was sent back down to the minor leagues on multiple occasions. In 2019, the Angels converted him to primarily play the outfield, forcing him to compete with fellow top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh for a spot while veterans Mike Trout, Justin Upton, and Kole Calhoun received most of the playing time. In 2022, Ward became the Angels' primary right fielder and was credited with a breakout season after he hit 23 home runs and led qualified Angels batters with a .281 batting average and a .360 on-base percentage (OBP). In 2023, he moved to left field.

Early life

Joseph Taylor Ward was born on December 12, 1993, in Dayton, Ohio, to parents Joe and Samantha Ward. During his childhood, Ward's family moved to Oviedo, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. He enrolled at Hagerty High School for his freshman year of high school in 2008.{{cite news |last1=Ruiz |first1=Stephen |title=Baseball draft picks from area high schools, state Division I schools |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/highschool/os-hs-baseball-draft-second-day-htmlstory.html |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=July 29, 2014}}

In 2009, Ward's family moved to the Coachella Valley in Southern California, where he enrolled at the newly-opened Shadow Hills High School in Indio for his sophomore year. He played catcher for the Shadow Hills baseball team and was a two-time De Anza League First Team selection. In his junior season, he was named the De Anza League MVP and Offensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team honors in the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section. In his senior season, he caught for eventual MLB pitcher Tyson Miller, forming the team's top battery. Ward committed to play college baseball for California State University, Fresno, becoming the first student in Shadow Hills history to receive an athletic scholarship from an NCAA Division I school.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Nathan |title=Former Knight Taylor Ward selected by Angels |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/2015/06/09/taylor-ward-selected-first-round-mlb-draft/28725455/ |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=The Desert Sun |publisher=Gannett |date=June 8, 2015 |url-access=limited}} He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 31st round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign with the team, moving forward with his plans to attend college.{{cite news |title=Catcher Taylor Ward of Fresno State drafted by Angels in first round |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/article23550496.html |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=The Fresno Bee |publisher=McClatchy |date=June 8, 2015 |url-access=subscription}}

College career

Ward enrolled at California State University, Fresno, to play college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs.{{Cite web |last=Byron |first=Bill |date=July 1, 2014 |title=Ex-Knight Taylor Ward tabbed by USA baseball team |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/2014/07/02/taylor-ward-usa-baseball-collegiate-national-team/11964517/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}} In 2013, his freshman season, Ward's Bulldogs teammates included eventual major leaguers Aaron Judge, Jordan Luplow, and Austin Wynns.{{cite web |title=2013 Fresno State Bulldogs Roster |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats/college~2013~20033/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=October 30, 2022}} In his first college season, Ward posted a .196 batting average with three home runs and 15 runs batted in (RBIs) in 46 games.{{cite web |title=Taylor Ward College, Amateur, Minor, Fall & Winter Leagues Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ward--007jos |website=Baseball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=October 30, 2022}} After the season, he made his collegiate summer baseball debut with the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League, batting .206 with three RBIs in 19 games.{{cite web |title=2013 Anchorage Bucs Roster |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/summer_stats/2013~Anchorage_Bucs~AlaskaLg/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=October 30, 2022}}

File:Taylor Ward (9222618195) (cropped).jpg in 2013|alt=Ward standing at home plate and holding his bat in his left hand before a pitch is thrown. He is wearing an Anchorage Bucs uniform, a black jersey with a gold "B" logo and the number 6.]]

In 2014, during his sophomore season, Ward earned two Mountain West Conference Player of the Week selections, first on February 24 and later on March 3. He finished the season batting .320 with six home runs and 41 RBIs, ranking second on the team in each category behind Luplow. He was named to the All-Mountain West second team as a catcher. Following the season, he was given a tryout for the United States collegiate national baseball team on May 28; he made the 24-man roster on June 30.{{cite web |title=Taylor Ward - Baseball |url=https://gobulldogs.com/sports/baseball/roster/taylor-ward/66 |website=Fresno State Athletics |access-date=October 30, 2022}} Ward also played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, joining Jake Cronenworth, Bobby Dalbec, and David Fletcher on the team.{{cite web |title=2014 Orleans Firebirds Roster |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/summer_stats/2014~orleans_firebirds~CapeCod/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=October 29, 2022}} In seven games for Orleans, Ward went 4-for-20 (.222) with a home run and a pair of RBIs.

In 2015, his junior season, Ward batted .304 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs, leading the team in the latter two categories.{{cite web |title=2015 Fresno State Bulldogs Roster |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats/college~2015~20033/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=October 30, 2022}} He was named to the All-Mountain West first team as a catcher.{{cite news |title=Mountain West Announces 2015 All-Conference Baseball Team |url=https://themw.com/news/2015/5/20/555ca7fee4b0dedffe09ba5c_131372594864999929.aspx?path=baseball |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=Mountain West Conference |date=May 20, 2015}} Ward was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the best catcher in college baseball.{{cite news |title=Fresno State's Taylor Ward Taken In First Round of 2015 MLB Draft |url=https://themw.com/news/2015/6/9/557666f3e4b0a2dc292e884c_131372594148906703 |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=Mountain West Conference |date=June 9, 2015}}

Professional career

=Draft and minor leagues=

Following his junior season with Fresno State, Ward was ranked as the 70th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and 99th by MLB.com. Ward was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, the 26th overall pick.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Nathan |date=June 8, 2015 |title=Former Knight Taylor Ward selected by Angels |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/2015/06/09/taylor-ward-selected-first-round-mlb-draft/28725455/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2015 |title=Catcher Taylor Ward of Fresno State drafted by Angels in first round |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/article23550496.html |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Fresno Bee}} He became the 17th player in Fresno State history to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft, succeeding Aaron Judge's 2013 first-round selection. Ward was one of three Fresno State players selected in the 2015 draft.{{cite web |title=Fresno State University - Draft Pick History |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/college_history/20033/drafted/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=November 5, 2022}} He signed with the Angels on June 12 for a $1,670,000 bonus, below the recommended $2,036,000 for the 26th draft slot.{{cite news |last1=DiGiovanna |first1=Mike |title=First-round pick Taylor Ward agrees to terms with Angels |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-an-first-round-pick-taylor-ward-agrees-terms-with-angels-20150612-story.html |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 12, 2015 |url-access=subscription}}

Ward made his professional debut with the Rookie Advanced-level Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League, going 0-for-4 against the Ogden Raptors in his first game on June 18, 2015. He recorded his first professional hit on June 23, a single off Grand Junction Rockies pitcher Chad Zurat. Ward was selected as a Pioneer League All-Star, scoring a run during the exhibition on August 4.{{cite news |last1=Tinsley |first1=Jesse |title=2015 All-Star Game |url=https://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/2015/aug/04/all-star-game/ |access-date=November 5, 2022 |work=The Spokesman-Review |publisher=Cowles Company |date=August 4, 2015 |location=Spokane, Washington}} In 32 games with Orem, Ward batted .349 with two home runs, 19 RBIs, a .489 on-base percentage (OBP), and .459 slugging percentage (SLG). On August 6, he was promoted to the Single-A Burlington Bees of the Midwest League.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Nathan |date=March 2, 2016 |title=Taylor Ward embracing LA Angels' spring training grind |url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/2016/03/02/taylor-ward-los-angeles-angels-spring-training/81217064/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Desert Sun}}{{cite web |title=Taylor Ward Stats, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.milb.com/player/taylor-ward-621493 |website=Minor League Baseball |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |access-date=November 6, 2022}} Between the two teams, he batted .348 with three home runs and 31 RBIs in 56 games.

In 2016, Ward was a non-roster invitee to Angels spring training for the first time. Prior to the start of the season, he was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Inland Empire 66ers of the California League. He spent the entire year with Inland Empire, batting .249 with ten home runs and 56 RBIs in 123 games. Following the season, Ward played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He was selected as an AFL All-Star and finished batting .283 with nine RBIs in 16 games.{{cite web |title=AFL East 4, AFL West 12 Final Score |url=https://www.mlb.com/gameday/afl-east-vs-afl-west/2016/11/05/487736 |website=Minor League Baseball |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |access-date=November 6, 2022 |date=November 5, 2016}} MiLB.com named Ward an Angels Organization All-Star for 2016.{{cite news |last1=Kraft |first1=Alex |title=Jones, Thaiss help Angels build for future |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/gcs-206734166 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |work=Minor League Baseball |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=October 24, 2016}}

In 2017, Ward returned to Inland Empire to begin the season. On April 5, he was placed on the 7-day disabled list but did not return until May 3. In 54 games with the 66ers, Ward batted .242 with six home runs and 30 RBIs. On July 20, he was promoted to the Double-A Mobile BayBears of the Southern League, remaining with the team for the rest of the season. In 87 games between both teams, Ward batted .258 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs. MiLB.com named him an Angels Organization All-Star for the second straight season.{{cite news |last1=Kraft |first1=Alex |title=Jones leads youthful crop of Angels All-Stars |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-260402072 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |work=Minor League Baseball |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=November 3, 2017}}

Prior to the 2018 season, the Angels converted Ward from catcher to a third baseman.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Jeff |date=August 9, 2018 |title=Angels' prospect Taylor Ward is the next name to know - Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/la-sp-angels-taylor-ward-20180809-story.html |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times}} He started the year by returning to Mobile, where he made his professional debut at third base on April 5. Ward was named a Southern League mid-season All-Star. In 42 games with Mobile, Ward batted .345 with six home runs and 25 RBIs. On June 2, Ward was promoted to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League. In 60 games with Salt Lake, he batted .352 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs. Following the season, Ward was named an Angels Organization All-Star by MiLB.com

=Major leagues=

==2018–2020: Inconsistent playing time==

Ward was called up to the majors for the first time on August 14, 2018, and made his MLB debut that day against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.{{Cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Jeff |date=August 13, 2018 |title=Prospect Taylor Ward set for major league debut with Angels |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2018/08/13/prospect-taylor-ward-set-for-major-league-debut-with-angels/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Orange County Register}}{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Shad |date=August 14, 2018 |title=Shadow Hills' Taylor Ward makes desert history with stellar performance for Angels in MLB debut |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2018/08/14/shadow-hills-taylor-ward-make-angels-debut-tonight-batting-7th/992176002/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}} In his first plate appearance, Ward hit an RBI double off Brett Kennedy. He finished his debut at 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Ward hit his first major league home run on August 18, a solo shot off Eddie Butler. He finished his abrupt first season hitting .178 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in 40 games.{{cite web |title=Taylor Ward Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wardta01.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 6, 2022}}

In 2019, Ward was intermittently sent between Triple-A and the major leagues, including five options to Salt Lake before August. He received minimal playing time at third base as the Angels opted to give Zack Cozart, David Fletcher, and Matt Thaiss a majority of time at the position. During a minor league stint in May, Ward was converted to play left fielder. In September, the Angels gave him his longest stint of the year with the major league club to replace an injured Justin Upton in left field.{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Jack |title=Angels star Mike Trout will undergo season-ending foot surgery this week |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2019-09-15/mike-trout-surgery-angels-done-season-injury |access-date=December 21, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 15, 2019 |url-access=subscription}} Ward batted .306 with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in 106 games with Salt Lake and .292 with a home run and two RBIs in 20 games with the Angels.

Ward began the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season with the major league club, switching between left field and right field to flank Mike Trout. On August 18, the Angels optioned Ward to the alternate training site being used in lieu of the cancelled minor league season. He was recalled to the major leagues on September 3 to finish out the season with the Angels. In 34 games, Ward hit .277 with five RBIs.

==2021–2022: Emergence in the outfield==

In 2021, Ward joined the major league club in May as a right fielder. He was batting .215 with four home runs through his first month, but his batting average improved as the season progressed. On June 17, Ward hit his first career grand slam, coming off Kyle Funkhouser in the 7th inning of a 7–5 win over the Detroit Tigers. On July 22, Ward was optioned to Salt Lake. He was placed on the 7-day injured list on July 30 and began a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League Angels on September 16. Ward was recalled to the major leagues on September 29 but returned to the injured list on October 3 for a right adductor strain. Ward finished 2021 hitting .250 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs in 65 games.

File:Taylor Ward 5 61824.jpg

Ward began the 2022 season on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain he endured during a spring training game.{{cite web |author1=RotoWire Staff |title=Angels' Taylor Ward: Reinstated from 10-day IL |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-taylor-ward-reinstated-from-10-day-il/ |website=CBS Sports |language=en |date=April 16, 2022}} He made his season debut on April 16, going 2-for-3 with a solo home run against the Texas Rangers.{{Cite web |date=April 16, 2022 |title=Angels' Taylor Ward: Goes deep in season debut |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-taylor-ward-goes-deep-in-season-debut/ |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=CBS Sports |language=en}} On April 25, Ward hit two home runs and provided all the offense in his first multi-homer game, a 3–0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.{{Cite web |last=Beacham |first=Greg |date=April 26, 2022 |title=Taylor Ward hits 2 homers, Angels top Guardians 3-0 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/taylor-ward-hits-2-homers-041020356.html |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=Yahoo! Sports}} On April 27, later in the same series against Cleveland, Ward went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, his second career grand slam, and a triple, falling a single shy from hitting for the cycle in the 9–5 victory.{{cite web |last1=Bollinger |first1=Rhett |title=Who's hotter? Ward slams, nearly cycles as Halos roll |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-hits-grand-slam-single-shy-of-cycle |website=MLB.com |language=en |date=April 27, 2022}} Ward was named the American League Player of the Week for April 25 – May 1, a span where he batted .448 with a .484 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage, 10 runs scored, and 11 RBIs.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |title=Ward, Adames earn Player of the Week honors |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-willy-adames-named-players-of-the-week |access-date=May 2, 2022 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=May 2, 2022}} On May 14, Ward hit a grand slam in a 9–1 win over the Oakland Athletics.{{cite news |title=Ohtani hits 100th homer as Angels beat A's 9-1 for DH split |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401423174 |access-date=July 28, 2024 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=May 14, 2022}} On May 20, Ward exited a game against the Athletics after colliding with the right field wall and was considered day-to-day.{{cite news |last1=Hoornstra |first1=J. P. |title=Angels outfielder Taylor Ward will avoid injured list after wall collision |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/05/21/angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-will-avoid-injured-list-after-wall-collision/ |access-date=December 21, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Daily News |publisher=Southern California News Group |date=May 21, 2022}} Ward suffered a hamstring injury in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 3 and was placed on the injured list on June 5.{{cite news |title=Angels' Taylor Ward: To IL with hamstring injury |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-taylor-ward-to-il-with-hamstring-injury/ |access-date=December 21, 2022 |work=CBSSports.com |agency=RotoWire |publisher=Paramount Global |date=June 5, 2022}} He returned to the Angels' lineup on June 14.{{cite news |last1=Hoornstra |first1=J. P. |title=Angels' Anthony Rendon leaves game with wrist injury |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/14/taylor-ward-returns-bumping-brandon-marsh-from-top-of-angels-lineup/ |access-date=December 21, 2022 |work=Orange County Register |publisher=Southern California News Group |date=June 14, 2022 |url-access=limited}} Midway through the season, it was discovered that Ward's bat speed had dropped by about {{convert|4|mph}} since his wall collision in May.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Jeff |title=Angels' Taylor Ward believes hitting woes are due to injury from May |url=http://www.ocregister.com/2022/07/30/angels-taylor-ward-believes-hitting-woes-are-due-to-injury-from-may/ |access-date=December 21, 2022 |work=Orange County Register |publisher=Southern California News Group |date=July 31, 2022 |url-access=limited}} Between the collision and the end of July, Ward batted .217 with a .610 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), a decrease from his pre-injury numbers. On August 13, Ward hit a walk-off two-run home run in the 11th inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins, his second career walk-off homer, to win 5–3.{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2022 |title=Angels PR on Twitter: "Tonight is the third walk-off win of the season for the #Angels and the second career walk-off for Taylor Ward. Ward's previous one came on Sept. 30, 2018 vs. Oakland with a two-run walk-off homer in the final game of the 2018 regular season." |url=https://twitter.com/LAAngelsPR/status/1558678554124005376 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Twitter|via=Angels PR}}{{cite web |title=Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA202208130.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=November 7, 2024 |date=August 13, 2022}} In late August, Ward did not make the Angels' trip for a series against the Toronto Blue Jays because of a Canadian travel ban against foreign nationals who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine.{{cite news |title=Angels put unvaccinated Taylor Ward, Aaron Loup, Ryan Tepera on restricted list before series in Toronto |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34465344/angels-put-unvaccinated-taylor-ward-aaron-loup-ryan-tepera-restricted-list-series-toronto |access-date=December 21, 2022 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=August 26, 2022}} Ward finished the 2022 season batting .281 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs in 135 games. His .281 batting average and .360 OBP was the highest among qualified Angels batters, and his 3.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was third-most on the team.{{cite web |title=2022 Los Angeles Angels Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAA/2022.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=December 21, 2022}}

==2023–present: Everyday left fielder==

On January 13, 2023, Ward signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Angels, avoiding salary arbitration.{{Cite web |last=Dierkes |first=Tim |date=January 14, 2023 |title=2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/2023-mlb-arbitration-tracker.html |access-date=January 13, 2023 |website=MLBTradeRumors}} Prior to the start of the 2023 season, it was announced that Ward would be moved from right field to left field to account for the team's trade acquisition of Hunter Renfroe.{{Cite web |last=Bollinger |first=Rhett |date=February 17, 2023 |title=Ward working to become 'best left fielder in baseball' |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-looking-to-build-off-breakout-2022-season |access-date=February 18, 2023 |website=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media}} During a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 28, 2023, Ward took a pitch to the head, suffering multiple facial fractures. He was placed on the 60-day injured list the following day, ending his season. In 97 games, he batted .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.{{cite web |last1=Fletcher |first1=Jeff |title=Angels’ Taylor Ward out with multiple facial fractures |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2023/07/30/angels-taylor-ward-out-with-multiple-facial-fractures/ |website=Orange County Register |date=July 30, 2023}}{{cite web |title=Angels' Ward taken to hospital after hit by pitch |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38096202/angels-taylor-ward-hit-head-pitch-taken-hospital |website=ESPN.com |publisher=Associated Press |language=en |date=July 29, 2023}} In early August, Ward had three plates inserted in his face and a nasal reconstruction surgery due to the injuries.{{cite news |last1=Bollinger |first1=Rhett |title=Ward fully recovered from season-ending HBP |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-on-recovery-from-hit-by-pitch-in-head |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=February 14, 2024}}

By spring training ahead of the 2024 season, Ward had fully recovered from his injury and began playing again, using an extended flap on his batting helmet to protect his face. Following the departure of Shohei Ohtani in free agency and injuries to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, Ward became one of the top run-producers in the Angels lineup. Through late May, he drove in a team-best 32 runs but told The Orange County Register that he likes having other batters ahead of him in the lineup to "take the microscope off" him.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Jeff |title=Taylor Ward has become the consistent run producer in Angels’ lineup |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2024/05/28/taylor-ward-has-become-the-consistent-run-producer-in-angels-lineup/ |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=The Orange County Register |publisher=Southern California News Group |date=May 28, 2024 |url-access=subscription}} On May 28, Ward hit a go-ahead two-run double off of New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes in the 8th inning to lead the Angels to a comeback victory.{{cite news |last1=Bollinger |first1=Rhett |title=Big hit finally lands as Halos 'flip the script' on Yanks |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-clutch-hit-sends-angels-past-yankees |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=May 28, 2024}} On June 21, Ward hit a game-winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.{{cite news |author1=RotoWire Staff |title=Angels' Taylor Ward: Delivers winning knock |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-taylor-ward-delivers-winning-knock/ |access-date=June 23, 2024 |work=CBSSports.com |publisher=Paramount Global |date=June 22, 2024}} On June 30, Detroit Tigers pitcher Shelby Miller hit Ward in the helmet with a fastball at {{convert|93|mph}}. Ward remained on the field after the incident but began slumping in the two weeks after, batting .140 with a .376 OPS in 47 plate appearances.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Jeff |title=Angels’ Taylor Ward slumping as he deals with effects of another pitch at his head |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2024/07/14/angels-taylor-ward-slumping-as-he-deals-with-effects-of-another-pitch-at-his-head/ |access-date=July 18, 2024 |work=The Orange County Register |publisher=Southern California News Group |date=July 14, 2024 |url-access=limited}} On July 28, Ward hit a go-ahead grand slam to complete a six-run comeback against the Athletics.{{cite news |last1=Bollinger |first1=Rhett |title=Ward heats up with crucial grand slam |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/taylor-ward-hits-grand-slam-in-angels-win-over-athletics |access-date=July 28, 2024 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=July 28, 2024}} He finished the season batting .246 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs in 156 games.

Player profile

As a prospect in 2018, MLB.com graded Ward on its 20–80 scale with a 50 for hitting, 40 for power, 40 for running, 65 for arm strength, 50 for fielding, and 50 overall. The report credited his "excellent plate discipline" and "very advanced approach" that generates walks and limits strikeouts. The report profiled Ward as a contact hitter but noted his uptick in home run power at the time.{{cite news |title=2018 Angels Top Prospects |url=https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2018/angels/taylor-ward-621493 |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media}}

In 2017, former Houston Astros minor leaguer Trent Woodward began teaching Ward a system that uses a "range" of swing styles rather than just one style to enhance results. Fox Sports journalist Pedro Moura wrote that the system emphasizes "holding the bat at a 90-degree angle to his spine and trying to match the angle of the incoming pitch with a slight uppercut in his swing". The two met once a month to train. In 2021, Angels manager Joe Maddon criticized the approach, suggesting that an overemphasis on contact angle was decreasing Ward's productivity. Ward later said that Maddon didn't know all the aspects of the system at the time.{{cite news |last1=Moura |first1=Pedro |title=Taylor Ward's breakout with Angels steeped in science of hitting |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/taylor-wards-breakout-with-angels-steeped-in-science-of-hitting |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=Fox Sports |publisher=Fox Corporation |date=May 15, 2022}}