NEW YORK – If the Red Sox make Braiden Ward part of their AL Wild Card Series roster against the Yankees, he will probably be the best base stealer many baseball fans had never heard of.
This 27-year-old burner’s act has been on display in the Minor Leagues for the past six seasons, the five before this one with the Rockies, the team that made him a 16th-round pick in the 2021 Draft.
Ward spent the entire ‘26 regular season at Triple-A Worcester, where he set that franchise’s record by stealing 61 bases (he was caught just nine times). In 523 career Minor League games, Ward has 272 stolen bases.
And now, Ward could become the seventh player in Major League history to make his big league debut in the postseason. It would be a first for a Boston player.
The left-handed hitting outfielder, a stringbean who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds and talks just as fast as he runs, is relishing the idea of making the roster.
Especially when you consider his path.
“It’s like a dream. It’s like a fever dream,” said Ward. “One day I’m in Worcester, the next day I’m in Florida, the next day I’m at the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at in New York City with the greatest view and the greatest team getting to hopefully play in the greatest rivalry.”
And perhaps follow in the footsteps of Dave Roberts? Before becoming a three-time World Series champion manager for the Dodgers, Roberts pulled off arguably the most famous stolen base in postseason history.
It was Game 4 in the ninth inning of the 2004 ALCS. Mariano Rivera was on the mound for the Yankees, who held a 4-3 lead in the game and a 3-0 lead in the series. Roberts narrowly beat a strong throw by Jorge Posada. Bill Mueller drove him in with a single. David Ortiz sent everyone home with a homer in the 12th. And the ‘04 Sox never lost again.
Roberts was a seasoned veteran by that point, though, even an everyday player for much of his career.
For Ward, running up the dugout steps to pinch-run at first base under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium would be one wild way to make a debut. Especially because everyone would know what he would be asked to do.
Oh, he’s thought about it. A lot. For years.
“I joke with the team about it,” said Ward. “How cool would it be to have your debut with the team in Game 3, ninth inning, and ‘Hey Ward, you’re out there. Have fun. Nothing crazy, no pressure.”’
The one thing Ward is sure about is that if he gets that chance, he won’t be timid. He will live with the results, good or bad.
“If they put me on the bases, especially first base in the ninth inning, even if the [pitcher] is 1.1 to the plate and the catcher has a 1.8 pop time, it’s, ‘Hey Ward, go steal it. Go figure it out. That’s why they put you out there, to steal the bag,’” said Ward. “And if I get the opportunity, obviously I’m going to go try to steal it. Obviously the other team knows that and it’s no surprise why I’m going to be out there and obviously they’re really good at holding guys. It’s a professional team, it’s the Yankees. It’s the Major Leagues. But, like I said, I practiced this entire year, hopefully for this moment.”
Perhaps the stage was set in Spring Training, most of which Ward spent in big league camp. He established a Spring Training record by stealing 19 bases.
The funny thing is that Ward has mainly been an everyday player in the Minors, so pinch-running would be new to him. He is pretty sure he can adapt.
“What I’ll probably do is get my stretching in, get your legs loose and watch video [of Yankees relief pitchers],” said Ward. “For me, I think, honestly, it’s going to be kind of sitting down, slowing the heart rate down and trying to just be in the moment. You can’t look up at the lights and be like, ‘Oh my God, you’re in Yankee Stadium.’ You’ve kind of got to be like, ‘It’s me versus the pitcher, it’s me versus the catcher.’ You get tunnel vision and only one thing matters. If it happens, sweet. If not, oh well. Like I said, it’s a gamble at the end of the day. Hopefully I can make the fans happy and this team happy.”