The Royals have been chasing answers in left field for a while now, and the numbers make the problem plain. In 2026, their left fielders combined to hit .211/.316/.316, good for a 80 wRC+ that ranked fourth-worst in the league.
The season before, that spot finished last in the league in production. Even during their playoff run, left field was a weak link, with the position posting the fourth-worst wRC+.
That’s why Taylor Ward makes sense as a name to keep on the radar. Kansas City could use an upgrade over Isaac Collins, who took a step back after a solid rookie season in Milwaukee, and Ward brings something the lineup lacks: a right-handed bat. The Royals lean left-handed, and right-handed hitters with real on-base ability and some pop are not exactly growing on trees.
Ward’s career has been a slow burn. He didn’t become a full-time regular until age 28 in 2022, when he launched 23 homers, posted a .360 on-base percentage and put up a career-best 3.5 rWAR.
He dipped a bit in 2023, then had his season cut short in July when he was hit in the face by a pitch. He came back to hit 25 home runs the next year, then reached new highs in 2025 with 36 homers and 75 walks.
Then came the strange turn. The Angels traded Ward to the Orioles last offseason for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, and that looked expensive for a player who was supposed to give them one big year.
Instead, the power disappeared. He managed only seven home runs in 111 games with Baltimore, then got dealt to Seattle, where things got even worse.
He went 11-for-88 (.125) with just one extra-base hit.
And yet, the on-base skills were still there. Ward finished with a .359 on-base percentage, a career-best 16.3 percent walk rate and a reduced 21.3 percent strikeout rate. The problem was everything else: his .311 slugging percentage was the lowest of any qualified hitter, and his 102 wRC+ was his worst since he became a regular.
There’s at least a plausible explanation for the drop-off. Ward made changes with the Orioles, shortening and slowing his swing and flattening it out in an effort to make more contact.
His approach became extremely patient. He posted the fourth-best walk rate, had the lowest swing rate in baseball last year and owns one of the lowest chase rates in the game.
When he does swing, he often sends the ball the other way. He had one of the lowest pull rates and one of the highest oppo rates in baseball, and he is also one of the best hitters at “squaring up” on the ball.
The missing power is the big question. He did show a little more thump on the road, with six of his seven homers coming away from home and a .365 slugging percentage in those games.
He also dealt with a hand bruise in April that may have lingered. But his exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel rate all fell this season, and his approach seemed to lean toward contact over damage.
Defensively, Ward is passable in left field and slightly below average there. He has also shown wide platoon splits in the past, though that split was not much of a factor this year.
He’ll turn 33 next month, which points toward a short-term contract. A one-year deal in the $8-12 million range with an option for 2028 sounds like a realistic fit, though a team convinced in the rebound could push to two years.
For Kansas City, the appeal is obvious. Ward would give them a better chance to get on base near the top of the lineup, and his right-handed bat would help balance the order. The concern is just as clear: the power vanished, and the patience that helps him reach base may be part of the same issue that has bothered Collins.
Still, as a buy-low option, Ward has some real intrigue. If the hand injury and the swing changes explain the lost pop, there could be value here. A one-year deal with an option would let the Royals chase an upgrade in left field without locking themselves into a major commitment.
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