Taylor Ward's latest award proves he's unlocked something special for Angels

The Angels needed somebody in their lineup to step up this month with their future first ballot Hall of Famer on the injured list. Mike Trout has missed all of May while rehabbing the left knee bruise he sustained during a game on the final day of April. From 2022-2024 Trout's played in 230 games and did not play in 256. With Trout playing in that three-year span, the Angels' lineup slashed .243/.311/.412/.723, posted a .315 wOBA and scored 4.29 runs per game. Without him, they slashed .230/.300/.380/.680 with a .297 wOBA while averaging 3.95 runs per game. Yes, having Mike Trout in the lineup helps the Angels -- hot take! Luckily for the Halos, Trout's fellow corner outfielder did his best impression of him while he was absent.

The Angels' left fielder, Taylor Ward, took home the American League Player of the Week award for his stellar stretch from May 19th to May 25th. Ward slashed .407/.419/.963/1.382 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in that span. In those seven games, the Angels went 5-2 and Ward was obviously the main reason why.

Taylor Ward's latest award proves he's unlocked something special for Angels

One can easily surmise that Ward will not maintain this level of play all season. Even after his torrid stretch this past week and month, Ward is hitting .222 with a .270 OBP (both below the league average) and has been notorious for being a streaky player his whole career. However, before the hot streak, Ward was hands down one of the unluckiest players in baseball. When the outfielder had a .180 batting average, he had a .195 BABIP and a solid hard-hit rate which indicated that he should have been faring much better the first month of the season.

“I feel like I can hit anything, to be honest,” Ward said after the Angels' four-game sweep of the A's. “The game is slow right now. And luck is on my side as well.” Ward credited offensive coordinator Tim Laker for a mechanical tweak that helped him unlock his dormant potential during his now famous live batting practice session.

In theory, Trout's return to the lineup should provide both Ward and he with more opportunities to see mistakes over the middle of the plate. A lineup with Trout, Ward, Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Logan O'Hoppe, Jorge Soler and even Yoán Moncada is a tall task for opposing pitchers to navigate through unscathed. That lineup depth, coupled with Ward's revamped confidence and correct mechanics, should allow him to put the streakiness and bad luck behind him.

Ward might not continue to look like prime Mark McGwire, but he could possibly get to the 30 home run mark with one of the best SLGs in the sport by season's end.

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