Joseph Taylor Ward Bio
Joseph Taylor Ward is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels. Ward was raised in Central Florida before moving to Indio, California, where he attended Shadow Hills High School and emerged as a notable baseball prospect as a catcher. He played three seasons of college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs, earning multiple conference accolades. The Angels drafted Ward in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, 26th overall. After spending four seasons in the Angels farm system and being converted to a third baseman, he made his MLB debut in 2018. In his first four major league seasons, Ward did not find consistent playing time and was sent back down to the minor leagues on multiple occasions. In 2019, the Angels converted him to primarily play the outfield, forcing him to compete with fellow top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh for a spot while veterans Mike Trout, Justin Upton, and Kole Calhoun received most of the playing time. In 2022, Ward became the Angels’ primary right fielder and was credited with a breakout season after he hit 23 home runs and led qualified Angels batters with a .281 batting average and a .360 on-base percentage. In 2023, Ward moved to left field, where he spent three seasons as one of the top producers for the Angels. In 2025, he recorded a career-high 36 home runs and a team-leading 103 runs batted in. The following offseason, the Angels traded Ward to the Orioles in exchange for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Taylor Ward was born on December 14, 1993, in Dayton, Ohio, to parents Joe and Samantha Ward. During his childhood, Ward’s family moved to Oviedo, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. He enrolled at Hagerty High School for his freshman year of high school in 2008. In 2009, Ward’s family moved to the Coachella Valley in Southern California, where he enrolled at the newly-opened Shadow Hills High School in Indio for his sophomore year. He played catcher for the Shadow Hills baseball team and was a two-time De Anza League First Team selection. In his junior season, he was named the De Anza League MVP and Offensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team honors in the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section. In his senior season, he caught for eventual MLB pitcher Tyson Miller, forming the team’s top battery. Ward committed to play college baseball for California State University, Fresno, becoming the first student in Shadow Hills history to receive an athletic scholarship from an NCAA Division I school. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 31st round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign with the team, moving forward with his plans to attend college.
Path to Baseball
Ward enrolled at California State University, Fresno, to play college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs. In 2013, his freshman season, Ward’s Bulldogs teammates included eventual major leaguers Aaron Judge, Jordan Luplow, and Austin Wynns. In his first college season, Ward posted a .196 batting average with three home runs and 15 runs batted in (RBIs) in 46 games. After the season, he made his collegiate summer baseball debut with the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League, batting .206 with three RBIs in 19 games. In 2014, during his sophomore season, Ward earned two Mountain West Conference Player of the Week selections, first on February 24 and later on March 3. He finished the season batting .320 with six home runs and 41 RBIs, ranking second on the team in each category behind Luplow. He was named to the All-Mountain West second team as a catcher. Following the season, he was given a tryout for the United States collegiate national baseball team on May 28; he made the 24-man roster on June 30. Ward also played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, joining Jake Cronenworth, Bobby Dalbec, and David Fletcher on the team. In seven games for Orleans, Ward went 4-for-20 (.222) with a home run and a pair of RBIs. In 2015, his junior season, Ward batted .304 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs, leading the team in the latter two categories. He was named to the All-Mountain West first team as a catcher and was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the best catcher in college baseball.
Joseph Taylor Ward Career
Early Career (2015-2018)
Following his junior season with Fresno State, Ward was ranked as the 70th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and 99th by MLB.com. Ward was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, the 26th overall pick. He became the 17th player in Fresno State history to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft, succeeding Aaron Judge’s 2013 first-round selection. Ward was one of three Fresno State players selected in the 2015 draft. He signed with the Angels on June 12 for a $1,670,000 bonus, below the recommended $2,036,000 for the 26th draft slot. Ward made his professional debut with the Rookie Advanced-level Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League, going 0-for-4 against the Ogden Raptors in his first game on June 18, 2015. He recorded his first professional hit on June 23, a single off Grand Junction Rockies pitcher Chad Zurat. Ward was selected as a Pioneer League All-Star, scoring a run during the exhibition on August 4. In 32 games with Orem, Ward batted .349 with two home runs, 19 RBIs, a .489 on-base percentage, and .459 slugging percentage. On August 6, he was promoted to the Single-A Burlington Bees of the Midwest League. Between the two teams, he batted .348 with three home runs and 31 RBIs in 56 games.
Breakthrough (2018-Present)
In 2018, Ward was a non-roster invitee to Angels spring training for the first time. Prior to the start of the season, he was promoted to the High-A Inland Empire 66ers of the California League. He spent the entire year with Inland Empire, batting .249 with ten home runs and 56 RBIs in 123 games. Following the season, Ward played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, where he was selected as an AFL All-Star and finished batting .283 with nine RBIs in 16 games. MiLB.com named Ward an Angels Organization All-Star for 2016. Ward was called up to the majors for the first time on August 14, 2018, and made his MLB debut that day against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. In his first plate appearance, Ward hit an RBI double off Brett Kennedy. He finished his debut at 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Ward hit his first major league home run on August 18, a solo shot off Eddie Butler. He finished his abrupt first season hitting .178 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in 40 games. In 2022, Ward became the Angels’ primary right fielder and was credited with a breakout season after he hit 23 home runs and led qualified Angels batters with a .281 batting average and a .360 on-base percentage. In 2023, Ward moved to left field, where he spent three seasons as one of the top producers for the Angels. In 2025, he recorded a career-high 36 home runs and a team-leading 103 runs batted in. The following offseason, the Angels traded Ward to the Orioles in exchange for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
Joseph Taylor Ward Family
Joseph Taylor Ward is married to Taylor, and they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Cameryn Taylor Ward, on November 21, 2022.
Personal Life
Joseph Taylor Ward maintains a relatively private personal life. He is known to be a family-oriented individual, balancing his professional commitments with his responsibilities as a husband and father.