Angels News: Taylor Ward Wants to Be The 'Best Left Fielder in Baseball'

Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is moving from right to left this season, and he's not content to just be okay out there. He wants to be the best.

The Angels drafted Taylor Ward as a catcher out of Fresno State in 2015, and his first three professional seasons came behind the plate. But heading into 2018, Ward moved to third base, and then added the outfield to his résumé the next year. Now, heading into his sixth big-league season, Ward has played the majority of his career in right field.

The Halos traded for Hunter Renfroe this offseason, though, and right field is his strongest position because of his cannon of a throwing arm. That means Ward is moving to left field. His goal isn't to play a passable left, though. Ward has much loftier visions, as Rhett Bollinger reports for MLB.com.

“I want to take away home runs, I want to a win a Gold Glove, I want to be the best left fielder in baseball,” Ward said. “That’s my goal, and all the work I do is going to be toward it.” 

Ward's Outs Above Average in right field last year was 2, and his athleticism might play better in left field. Offensively, he started the season on a tear but slumped after injuring his shoulder in a collision with the wall in May. He finished well, too, posting a .972 OPS in September and October. Ward believes those hot streaks are indicative of who he is as a hitter when he's healthy.

“In a full season, if I stay healthy, I think I can do what I did the first month and the last month all year, I really do,” Ward said. “The last month of the season I was pretty much back. The offseason it felt great. No problems, at all. I’m definitely 100 percent now. But I think that totally impacted my three months. The goal this year is definitely to avoid the wall.”

The one change Ward made this offseason was installing a pitching machine that can throw "nasty" breaking pitches. Otherwise, it was just a regular offseason of working to improve and come into camp fully healthy.

“I just want to continue where I left off,” Ward said. “I’m healthy, everything's ready to go. So I just want to get going again and start the season strong.”