The Baltimore Orioles recently traded former top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward, who spent parts of the previous eight seasons with the Angels.
Rodriguez, 26, spent the 2025 season sidelined by elbow and lat injuries. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander started 43 games from 2023-2024, posting a 4.11 ERA, 259 strikeouts and 78 walks in 238.2 innings.
Ward, who turns 32 in December, is coming off a career year. The 6-foot, 200-pound outfielder hit .228/.317/.475 with 36 home runs and 103 RBIs with the Angels in 2025.
Former big league pitcher and current Angels color analyst Mark Gubicza says Ward has a chance to have another 30-plus-homer season in 2026.
“When you look at his swing, and we always would talk about that during the course of the game where he’s done a real good job I think over the last few seasons. That’s why I think his power’s coming,” Gubicza said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov 20. “His swing type, where he’s looking for a pitch in the zone — he’s a pretty patient guy, he doesn’t go out of the zone a lot, and that’s why you see a lot of called third strikes on him, too.”
MLB’s new challenge system for ball-strike calls will be introduced in the 2026 season, allowing players to request a review of important ball-strike calls during a game. Teams will be allotted two incorrect challenges per game.
Ward knows the strike zone, ranking 25th among 316 hitters in chase rate from 2024-2025. Gubicza was asked if the challenge system could help Ward.
“I think the ABS will definitely be a benefit for him because he does have a great idea of the strike zone,” Gubicza said. “… He’s got a great idea of the strike zone. It’s going to help him out now because when he’s taking those pitches and they’re not in the strike zone, he’s going to get the benefit of another pitch to try to drive a little bit.”
Ward played in more than 150 games in both 2024 and 2025. He has avoided the injured list in each of the last two seasons, missing little time after a scary collision with the left-field wall in Houston last year.
Gubicza was asked whether Ward’s durability comes from good fortune or toughness.
“When you think about it, he’s out there pretty much all the time, and he’s willing to deal with some injuries, especially getting hit in the face not only with a pitch, but then running into a metal plate in the wall out there in Houston and still not missing much time at all,” Gubicza said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s on the plate. He will not give in on his zone. He wants his pitch, and he’s not going to give up on it. If you pitch him inside, so be it. You better not miss out over the plate because he’ll hit it hard.”
Ward is considered quiet, but Gubicza praises Ward’s fire on the field and in the clubhouse. The team always gravitated to that energy.
“Every one of his teammates gravitates to him. I think he’s more quiet to us on the media side. I think when he’s in the clubhouse and on the field, he’s a different person,” Gubicza said. “He expects to do well. He expects his teammates to do well, but he’s also really receptive to taking responsibility to be the guy on the team. … He is a fiery guy, but he’s not going to be animated as much as you know some other players may be, but all his teammates will gravitate around him and have a blast because he’s a funny guy. He’s quirky, he’s funny, yet he’s quiet, but you want to be around him and you want to be having those conversations.”
For more from Gubicza, listen to the full interview here:
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