Dates Scouted: 12+ Times, Most Recently 9/5 – 9/7
7-Word Scouting Report: Plus Arm, Power ; Questionable Hit, Defensive Profile
The Washington Nationals 3rd Round pick, 105th overall, in the 2013 MLB Draft, Drew Ward was given a well over-slot signing bonus of $850,000 out of a small Oklahoma high school. After a solid season in 2014 in Low-A, the Nationals promoted Ward to High-A for 2015, where he battled through a difficult season as a 20-year-old in the Carolina League. Ward spent 2015 acting as the Potomac Nationals everyday third baseman, hitting .249/.327/.358 with 6 home runs and 27 extra base hits over 111 games played. While those numbers feel underwhelming on the surface, the Nationals see enough potential in Ward that they selected him as one of their seven representatives to the Arizona Fall League next month.
Offensively Ward has legitimate raw power due in part to his 6-4 215lbs physique and lengthy left-handed swing. He shows power to all fields during batting practice, in addition to solid-average bat speed through the strike zone. His body, especially his lower half, has some excess movement early, which hinders his ability to barrel velocity or quality breaking pitches. He has shown some signs during the year of cutting down on his swing and quieting his body, but he still needs additional refinement to improve his swing. Still not old enough to legally drink alcohol, there is plenty of time for him to make the necessary adjustments and develop into a possible “35/40” hit, “45/50” raw power hitter in the future.
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On defense Ward provides a difficult profile, as he has a cannon for an arm, but lacks the agility and first-step quickness one expects from an infielder. His easy plus or “60” arm works at the hot corner, but his sheer size as he matures and his below-average athleticism will likely push him off the position. I would label him as a “40” future defender at third base. However Ward possesses decent speed for a big man, especially once underway, leading me to believe a corner outfield position could be a fit to capitalize on his arm strength.
Every prospect is by definition an enigma until they establish themselves in the major leagues; Drew Ward is a perplexing puzzle even by prospect standards. He has excellent raw power during batting practice, yet his long swing and excess body movement makes it difficult to translate during games. In the field Ward has an arm most players would covet, yet his athleticism and agility make him difficult to confidently project anywhere besides first base. That said one must remember he is still only 20-years-old, competing against players significantly older and more polished than him.
So this leaves us with a divisive prospect – Ward’s fans see a young player with two plus tools holding his own against older competition. His detractors see 18 total home runs in nearly 1,000 minor league at-bats from a future first baseman and dismiss him as an organizational talent.
Personally I lean more toward the former, with the caveat that I see his future in the outfield. I have observed Ward make subtle adjustments during 2015 and think with another year or two of professional instruction his 58 career minor league doubles begin translating to home runs. I put Ward’s ceiling as the strong-side of a platoon in the corner outfield, while his most likely outcome is a multipurpose reserve with left-handed power off the bench. Ward is a risky but intriguing prospect and Nationals’ fans should remember him as a potential breakout player in 2016.
** Special Thank You to Bryan Holland and the Potomac Nationals for their hospitality the entire 2015 season… Thanks! **
Great read. Thanks.
I was at the Sunday game and actually saw some impressive agility, quickness and athleticism from Ward I wasn’t expecting. Maybe it’s because I’ve read he won’t make it at 3B but color me fairly impressed.
Hey CK,
Thanks for reading and commenting – and sorry I missed you on Sunday!
Ward is not a bad athlete by any stretch, but he’s already LARGE and I fear he will outgrow third base in a year or two when he’s 22 and added 10-15 pounds. But I’ve had some decent run times on Ward and think he could make a decent outfielder with time.
Your last four posts are a depressing reminder of how barren the Nats’ minor league system is, especially it position player talent. I could sum up my opinion on these four as follows:
Drew Ward = “Chris Marrero lite”
Chris Bostick = “Danny Espinosa lite”
Rafael Bautista = “Eury Perez lite”
Alec Keller = “Matt den Dekker lite”
None of these guys have yet demonstrated that they are even as good as those similar players who came before them. The Nats desperately need more guys who can get on base and hit for power. Instead, they have more speedsters with low OBPs and more corner players whose deep fly balls die at the warning track.
Thank goodness they at least managed to steal Turner from the Padres.
Hey Karl,
Thanks for reading and commenting… Welcome!
While I think you are being a twinge harsh in your post, I cannot argue your bigger point that the positional talent in the system is lacking at the present moment. Aside from Trea Turner and Wilmer Difo, both of whom could be everyday starters, there are few impact bats in the farm system, until you start looking at Auburn and Low-A Hagerstown. Perhaps and hopefully we see a hitter or two breakout next year like Turner/Difo did in 2015.
However, the depth of pitching, especially starters, is impressive and should not be dismissed. Few organizations can match Giolito, Lopez, Cole, Fedde, and others.