'Leaving an everlasting impression': Ward stays hot at the plate

ANAHEIM -- It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season for Angels left fielder Taylor Ward, but he’s been finishing it strong at the plate and is looking to build on it heading into next year.

Ward continued his hot hitting by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in a 5-0 shutout win over the White Sox on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. Ward has reached base safely in 25 of his last 26 games and is hitting .313/.391/.646 with eight homers, four doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs over that stretch.

“Overall, it’s been very good,” Ward said. “It’s been good to see the adjustments working out and just sticking with them. The biggest thing this offseason is just making sure I stay right where I'm at, and just continue to implement what I've been working on and solidify that for next year.”

Ward said he worked with hitting coach Johnny Washington to alter his mechanics at the plate. He’s trying to eliminate his leg from swinging around during his leg kick as he swings.

“I want to be a little more deliberate [with my leg kick] and a more efficient hip load,” Ward said. “That's been one of the biggest things that I've changed. And then just getting back to when I land, being in a good hitting position. And just continuing to swing at good pitches.”

It’s a good sign for Ward, who had to overcome the mental hurdle of coming back from being hit in the face by a pitch in late July last season. Ward required several facial operations and had to deal with pitchers continuing to pitch him inside often early this season.

Ward, though, has settled into a nice groove over the last month and is batting .248/.324/.437 with a team-leading 24 homers, 26 doubles and 69 RBIs in a career-high 145 games this year. His slash line isn't too far off from last year, when he hit .253/.335/.421 in 97 games. But it's not quite at the level of his breakout 2021 campaign, where he hit .281/.360/.473 in 135 games.

“He's put together a good year,” manager Ron Washington said. “Maybe not a Taylor Ward year, but he's put together a good year. And he's posted. And that's what you want. You just want your guys to post. And usually, when you post, good things can happen.”

Ward, who has been serving as the club’s leadoff hitter since Aug. 16, led off the game with a single and added an RBI single in the third to get the Angels on the board. He led off the seventh with a single, stole second for his fifth stolen base of the year, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Angels an insurance run.

The 30-year-old is showing why the Angels held onto him at the Trade Deadline despite rumors he could be moved to a contender. He remains under team control through 2026, and the Angels believe he’s a key piece for them going forward with a young club. On Tuesday, he was the only player older than 30 in the lineup, but he's embracing his new role as a mentor and leader.

“It's definitely different from being one of those guys like five years ago,” Ward said. “But now seeing it and being here the whole year and watching the young guys come in, it’s been cool and fun to watch.”

Ward was thrust into the role as the club’s most veteran everyday outfielder this year, with Mike Trout limited to 29 games because of a torn meniscus he suffered in late April. Trout is expected to be healthy heading into next year, but there’s also a chance he could move to a corner spot to try to stay on the field more often. The Angels also have Mickey Moniak, who took over for Trout as the club’s regular center fielder, and right fielder Jo Adell in the mix for next season. Ward had an inconsistent year defensively in left but has handled some center field in the past.

The Angels will have to decide how they handle the outfield in the offseason, but for now, Washington is pleased to see Ward finish the year strong.

“He's doing what Taylor does,” Washington said. “He can swing the bat. He can make a difference in a ballgame. In the game of baseball, people usually remember the only thing that you did last that they’ve seen. So, at least he’s leaving an everlasting impression at the end."