Taylor Ward #3

Joseph Taylor Ward...On Twitter: @Warrdyboy7...Named First-Team All-Mountain West in 2015 with Fresno State (a back-to-back All-Mountain West Conference selection)...Started all 59 games for FSU and ranked among Bulldogs’ leaders with a .304 (65/214) average (3rd), 14 doubles (2nd), seven home runs (T-1st), 42 RBI (1st) and 104 total bases (1st)...Caught 13 of 23 (56.5%) runners attempting to steal a base...In three years at Fresno State, batted .288 (157/545) with 29 doubles, 16 home runs and 98 RBI in 162 games...Threw out 33 of 55 (60%) potential basestealers...Prepped at Shadow Hills HS (CA)...A two-time first-team De Anza League honoree...Named De Anza League Most Valuable Player and first-team All-CIF as a junior...Holds school records for batting average, hits, triples, home runs and RBI...First athlete in school history to receive Division I scholarship...Signed by Angels scout Scott Richardson...Originally drafted by Tampa Bay in 31st round of 2012 MLB Amateur Draft before electing to play for Fresno State.

2021

In fourth big league season, made two stints with the Angels...Set new career highs in games played, hits, doubles, home run, RBI, walks and OPS...Appeared defensively at all three outfield positions (64 G) and made first big league appearance at catcher...Made just two errors in 509.2 innings in the outfield (.984 fielding percentage)...Catching appearance was first at any level since 2017 in Double-A Mobile...Tallied first career grand slam on June 17 vs. Detroit...Following Spring Training, started season at Club’s Alternate Training Site in Tempe, AZ...Assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake on May 4th and was recalled by the Angels the following day...Optioned to Triple-A on July 22nd and was placed on the 7-day injured list July 30...Following a rehab assignment with the Arizona League Angels, was activated by Salt Lake on Sept. 20...Recalled by the Halos on Sept. 29 before being placed on the injured list with a right adductor strain Oct. 3.

2020

Made two stints with the Angels while also spending time at the Club’s Alternate Training Site in Long Beach, CA...Despite shortened season, set new career highs in hits, runs, doubles, triples, average, OBP and slugging...Named to his first career Opening Day roster...Posted a .350 (21/60) average with 11 runs scored, six doubles and a triple in September to raise season average from .147 to .277...Broke up Zack Greinke’s perfect game with 6th inning single on Aug. 1. 

2019

Split time between Triple-A Salt Lake and the Majors... Made season debut for Angels on Apr. 10 against the Brewers going 1-for-3 with a double...Posted above a .300 BA in the minors for second consecutive season with a .306 average (129/421)... Was 20th in OPS (1.010) for all of Triple-A and 4th in PCL... Had 34 doubles which was good for 6th in PCL...In a 38-game stint with Salt Lake batted .319 (51/160) with 37 runs, 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, 21 walks and a 1.030 OPS... Had a 35-game on base streak (Aug. 2, 2018-May 18, 2019) during which he compiled a .313 BA (41/131) with 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 22 RBI and 27 walks...His best performance with the Angels came on Sept. 25 against Oakland when he went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI...Made professional outfield debut on Apr. 10 for Salt Lake... Played 86 games in outfield between Angels and Salt Lake over the course of the season.

2018

Saw action at three different levels of the Angels system, including making Major League debut with the Aug. 14...Spent time in Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake, batting a combined .349 (131/375) with 26 doubles, 14 home runs and 60 RBI…The .349 clip ranked second overall in MiLB (min. 300 AB), trailing only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.381)... Began season with Double-A Mobile, batting .345 (51/148) with eight doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI before being promoted to Triple-A June 2…Hit .345 (80/227) with 18 doubles, eight home runs and 35 in 60 games with the Bees…Was leading Salt Lake in average at promotion... Had contract selected Aug. 14th and made Major League debut that night at San Diego (2-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI)...Became the 15th Angel to drive in a run with their first hit...Finished the season with six home runs, the most by an Angels rookie third baseman since 2005 (Dallas McPherson, 8 HR)...Entered the season ranked as the Angels No. 8 prospect by MLB.com... Defensively, transitioned to third base at the start of season after playing exclusively at catcher during first three professional campaigns.

2017

2017 marked third professional season in Angels' system...Split campaign between Single-A Inland Empire and Double-A Mobile...Combined to hit .258 (84/326) with 46 runs, 14 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 49 RBI in 87 games...Logged a 60-to-57 strikeout-to-walk ratio across both levels...Improved OPS (.757) by 98 points from a season ago...Named MiLB.com All-Star for second straight year ... Produced a .286/.400/.387 slash line with BayBears and tossed out 28.1 percent of basestealers while posting a .989 fielding percentage...Named Angels Organizational Player of Month for August (.324, 3 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 15 BB, 10 R).

2016

Spent second professional season in 2016 with Inland Empire...Played in 123 games for 66ers (made 90 starts behind plate)...Committed just five errors (.994 pct.) and threw out 48 of 125 basestealers (38%) ... Slashed .224/.283/.259 with one homer, 20 RBI and a 41-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 60 first-half games... In 63 contests after break, posted a .274/.359/.415 slash line with nine home runs, 36 RBI and 31 walks... Connected for seven home runs and 20 RBI over his final 32 games ... Set career highs with two home runs and four RBI vs. Lake Elsinore on Aug. 18, 2016 ... Played with Scott sdale Scorpions in Arizona Fall League in 2017 & 2016 ... Ranked as Angels' top prospect for 2016 and #6 prospect for 2017 by Baseball America...Was seventh catcher in franchise history selected in first round and first since Hank Conger in 2006.

2015

In 2015, combined for slash line of .348/.457/.438 in first professional season between Rookie-level Orem and Low-A Burlington...His .489 OBP led Pioneer League and he struck out fewest times in the league (8; min. 30 games) ... .348 clip ranked second among all Angels' farmhands (min. 200 AB)...Selected as a Pioneer League Mid-Season All-Star