One of baseball’s most underrated outfielders should be on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ trade radar

Even in today’s game, where players seem larger than life and get social media attention all the time, it’s still very easy for a player to fly under the radar and become underrated. Sometimes a player is just simply good; they might not be the best player at their position or super flashy, but they just are really solid and produce every year, and that description fits LA Angels outfielder Taylor Ward perfectly. Ward should be someone on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ trade radar right now.

Ward is batting .253/.331/.452 on the season. He currently has career-highs in walk rate (10.9%) and isolated slugging percentage (.199). Ward is also striking out less frequently than average, with a 22.5% strikeout rate. Between him hitting for some power and getting on base with a quality walk rate, Ward has a .341 wOBA and 121 wRC+.

Ward has been a top-15 hitter among his fellow outfielders. He currently is 15th in wRC+ (123), 13th in wOBA (.347), and 11th in OPS (.797). He also ranks 15th or better in isolated slugging percentage and home runs hit with a dozen. This also tracks with his recent history too. Since 2022, Ward has silently flown under the radar. There are 66 primary outfielders over the last three seasons with at least 1000 plate appearances - Ward has the 13th-best OPS, 12th-best wOBA, and 11th-best wRC+. 

Not only has Ward been one of the top-15 hitters among outfielders this year and over the last three seasons, but he could potentially be even better. He is in the 94th percentile of expected slugging percentage at .533 and expected weighted on-base average at .384. His 91-MPH average exit velocity is a career-best, but he’s not just hitting the ball hard; he’s hitting it well too. He is in the 93rd percentile of barrel rate at 15.3%.

Ward is a good defender, too. He’s above the 70th percentile on Baseball Savant in outs above average (+1), arm value (+1), and arm strength (87.6 MPH). Ward has +5 OAA dating back to 2022. He has one of the best outfield jumps at 2.7 feet vs average, the ninth-best, ahead of last year’s Platinum Glove winner Fernando Tatis Jr., as well as other known defensive wizards like Cody Bellinger, Michael Harris III, and even Bryon Buxton.

So if Ward is so good, why isn't he treated like it? Well, he was in the shadow of Shohei Ohtani, and he's still overlooked because of Mike Trout. Plus, the Angels do not have much going on right now. Even in trade talks, he's overlooked because the White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. is the big prize. Heck, Ward even has a higher wRC+ and wOBA since 2022 than Robert Jr. does.

The only thing Ward isn’t above average in is base running, but it’s not like he’s a butcher on the basepaths. Baseball Savant only has his base running value at -1 run. Ward is controlled through the 2026 season, which is just another reason why the Pirates should go after him. Ward does just about everything well, and would be a massive addition to the Pirates’ roster.