Drew Ward

Drew Ward
Washington Nationals
Third baseman
Born: (1994-11-25) November 25, 1994
Leedey, Oklahoma
Bats: Left Throws: Right

Drew C. Ward (born November 25, 1994) is an American professional baseball third baseman in the Washington Nationals organization.

Baseball career

Ward was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft out of Leedey High School in Leedey, Oklahoma.[1] He signed with the Nationals and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Nationals,[2] where he posted a .292 batting average with one home run and 28 RBIs. In 2014, he played for the Hagerstown Suns.[3] where batted .269 with 10 homers and 73 RBIs. Ward spent 2015 with the Potomac Nationals, where he posted a .249 batting average along with six home runs and 47 RBIs. Ward began 2016 with Potomac, and was later promoted to the Harrisburg Senators, where he posted a combined .252 batting average with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs between the two clubs.[4]

Ward was assigned to the Arizona Fall League for the second straight year after the 2016 season. He played for the Glendale Desert Dogs alongside several other Nationals prospects, including Senators teammate Andrew Stevenson, and hit .309 over 21 games, recording at least one hit in 19 of them; his 25 hits were second on the team to Stevenson's 30. Ward also received positive reviews for his defensive improvements at third base,[5] where he committed three errors in his first week of fall action and then zero over the remaining five and a half weeks.[6] Both Ward and Stevenson were named to the 2016 AFL Top Prospects Team.[7]

Ward was invited to participate in major league spring training ahead of the 2017 Washington Nationals season. His hitting drew the attention of manager Dusty Baker before he was reassigned to minor league camp on March 13. Baker said Ward would begin working out at first base as well as third base.[8] He spent 2017 with the Harrisburg Senators where he posted a .235 batting average with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs.[9]

Playing style

While Ward has played exclusively at third base in the minor leagues through the 2016 season, he played shortstop in high school, and due to his large build—he stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 lbs[10]—he may end up moving across the diamond to first base at some point in the future. Ward told The Washington Post in 2015 that he is willing to become a first baseman if that is where he is needed to play in the major leagues, but he plans to stay at third base "for as long as possible".[11] After seeing Ward in action during the first half of the Nationals' spring training camp in 2017, manager Dusty Baker said Ward would begin playing some first base as he continues his development in the minor leagues.[8]

Ward is described as a power hitter. He hits left-handed.[12] During the 2016 season, he began incorporating a leg kick into his swing, which he credits with improving his rhythm and timing at the plate.[13]

Personal life

Ward comes from a baseball family in Leedey, Oklahoma. His grandfather Bob assembled the Oklahoma Travelers, a highly successful American Legion baseball team. His father, Gregg Ward, played minor league baseball in the Atlanta Braves organization. As a boy, Ward's baseball idol was Cincinnati Reds infielder Pete Rose.[14]

Both Ward and Nationals relief pitcher Koda Glover, who were teammates for part of the 2016 season with the Potomac Nationals, are Native American and grew up in Oklahoma, where they competed together and against one another at high school invitational games.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "MLB Draft: Yukon's Jonathan Denney, Leedey's Drew Ward go in third round". NewsOK.com. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Ward wastes no time impressing Nationals". Washington Nationals. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Byron Kerr: Drew Ward providing depth at third base in Nats system (updated)". MASNsports. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Drew Ward Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ Castillo, Jorge (November 22, 2016). "Nationals prospect Drew Ward's defensive improvements highlight strong 2016". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  6. ↑ Kerr, Byron (December 2, 2016). "Final Arizona updates on Ward, Stevenson and Abreu". MASN Sports. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  7. ↑ Miller, Randy (December 5, 2016). "2 Yankees named to Fall League's Top Prospects team; Mets shut out". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Kerzel, Pete (March 13, 2017). "Ward and Stevenson leave positive impression on Baker". MASN Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Drew Ward Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Drew Ward". Fangraphs. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ Wagner, James (May 8, 2015). "Drew Ward, another big, young Nationals prospect at Potomac". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ Kerr, Byron (February 10, 2016). "Nats prospect watch: Drew Ward". MASN Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ Keeler, Ricky (October 30, 2016). "Washington Nationals Minors: Drew Ward's AFL Hit Streak Continues". District on Deck. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ Ladson, Bill (March 9, 2014). "Ward wastes no time impressing Nationals". MLB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  15. ↑ Kerr, Byron (April 12, 2016). "Third baseman Drew Ward hitting ground running to start second year with P-Nats". MASN Sports. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
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