Taylor Ward, OF
Position: OF B/T: R/R
Age: 32 (12/14/1993)
2026 Traditional Stats: 607 PA, .225/.359/.311/.670, 112 H, 7 HR, 37 RBI
2026 Advanced Stats: 102 wRC+, 21.4% K%, 16.3% BB%, .288 BABIP, .334 xwOBA, 1.0 fWAR, 1.7 bWAR, 6 DRS (LF), -1 OAA (LF), -2 DRS (RF), -2 OAA (RF)
Rundown
What a weird season for Taylor Ward, who technically ended with a fine WRC+ but got there a completely different way than in the past. Spot the issue:
- 2024 – 25 HRs, 75 RBIs, .426 SLG
- 2025 – 36 HRs, 103 RBIs, .475 SLG
- 2026 – 7 HRs, 37 RBIs, .311 SLG
Ward did see his OBP year over year jump from .317 in 2025 to .359 in 2026 and his walk rate jump from 11.3% to 16.3%. What are the potential reasons for this drastic change in profile?
Via TJStats on X
There are two stark differences year to year: exit velocities and pull rate. These tend to go hand in hand. Players who pull the ball more tend to hit the ball harder.
When Ward was traded to Baltimore he got stuck playing half of his games in a ballpark that decimated pull side power for right-handed hitters, an issue we saw for years with Ryan Mountcastle. It is possible the pull-heavy Ward tried to combat this by sending the ball the other way and it did not work. His change in attack angle and his stance further back in the box speaks to that possibility as well.
Ward has always been passive, he has always let too many hittable pitches go by, he has always run low swing rates, but he has never run big whiff rates even with those power numbers. He consistently runs-plus selectivity metrics due to his plus eye and does not struggle against velocity.
Could Taylor Ward be a strong buy low ready to breakout in the right ballpark? Could he match the improved OBP with a higher pull rate to bring the power back and marry all of his best traits? He is only one year removed from 36 home runs and could be looking to bounce back in a ballpark that is friendly to right-handed pulled fly balls.
Contract
Spotrac market value lists Taylor Ward on the higher end at two-years and $34 million.
Baseball America has him at one-year and $12.5 million.
With his weird 2026 season he is unlikely to get a long term contract and will likely look for a bounce back season where he can reenter free agency.
Recommendation: Worth Checking In
The Mets could use a right-handed, bat-first hitter. Especially one that is strong enough offensively to play at the designated hitter spot while also being able to play 50-plus games in the outfield giving guys days off their feet and also filling in for the inevitable injury. If not Ward specifically, this is absolutely a profile the Mets should look to add this offseason on a one-year contract. If the Mets think they can get him to pull the ball at a high rate again this seems like a layup as a clear bounce back signing. When he is at his best he is a 30 home run bat that can bat in the middle of the lineup.
