Angels News: Outfielder Joins Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson in Exclusive Club

Jeremy Hanna | Sep 21, 2024

Sep 15, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Taylor Ward (3) runs the bases on a home run during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

To say that the 2024 season has been rough for the Los Angeles Angels is an understatement. With a 62-92 win-loss record, the Angels may actually have the worst record in franchise history.

However, not everything in this season has been all bad. In fact, veteran left fielder Taylor Ward has joined an exclusive club in the Angels organization.

Recently, Angels PR announced on social media that Ward has officially become the 9th left fielder in club history to have a 25-homer season. Not only that, but he's the first person to pull this off since Mike Trout in 2018.

Ward is also the third home-grown left fielder to pull this off, joining Angels legends Darin Erstad and Garret Anderson.

“When you get down to two strikes, you just battle from there,” Ward said, per Jeremy Rakes of MLB.com. “You’re open to hitting anything. Right there I was just honestly looking for something in the middle. It started there. Maybe it was a little down, but I put a good swing on it and didn’t miss it.”

Taylor Ward becomes the 9th Angels left fielder with a 25-homer season and first since 2018. He joins Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad as the only home grown left fielders to accomplish the feat. https://t.co/76hrGPZSIm

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) September 20, 2024

What's wild about this is that, according to Will Harris of Fantrax, it could have been even better.

"Taylor Ward if you take out the 2 months after he got hit in the head: 97 games 21 HR," Harris said. That's a 32 HR pace over 150 games. I'm definitely buying again depending on the price in 2025."

"My goal was 30 initially, but having three or four bad months, I just didn’t do what I was supposed to do,” Ward said. “Just knowing these cues, these mechanics and taking it into the offseason, I hope to exceed 30 next year.”

In general, Ward has been a standout player for Los Angeles this season. In 148 games, Ward has maintained a .247 batting average with 25 home runs and 71 RBI.

Ward credits a lot of his success to utilizing better mechanics later in the season.

"Basically, I cleaned up my lower half,” Ward said. “I am more deliberate. I had a swing, a leg kick, early on that threw me off. Just be more deliberate with that and have a better quality hip load, pretty much. Also, landing more 50-50 in a good hitting position instead of being more back. Really, those two things are something this month that I have been focusing on every day.”

According to manager Ron Washington, this is just the beginning.

"Maybe catching his second wind,” Washington said. “He's a battler. He’s been battling all year. In the game of baseball, when you play six months, you’re going to have some ups and downs, and he’s putting it back together here in September, and we are looking for him to continue.”

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