BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 50% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: Following a strong 2022 campaign, Taylor Ward was one of the trendier picks on draft boards heading into last season. Instead of delivering on the breakout performance fantasy managers had hoped for, Ward generated an uninspiring .253/.335/.421 slash line with 14 home runs and a 107 wRC+. He started to catch fire in the early summer, and his counting stats would have been better, though a sinker to the face abruptly ended Ward's season at just 97 games played.
2022 was not a long time ago, and we should not be so quick to dismiss Ward's exceptional metrics from that season - .361 xwOBA, .474 xSLG, and 12.4% barrel rate. His 2023 campaign started slowly, but it's worth understanding that he caught steam with each passing month. Ward posted a 79 wRC+ across 29 games between March and April, an 85 wRC+ in 24 May appearances, then a 99 wRC+ in 24 June games, and he finally caught fire in July with 182 wRC+ over 20 games played. If the full season had played out, he might very well have put up some big numbers by the season’s end. Ward still has the upside of a core fantasy asset.
Taylor Ward first HOME RUN of 2024 😤@Angels l #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/Jaa4OlwcLk
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) March 30, 2024
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