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! **