Taylor Ward's struggles

[Tank]

5 hours ago, John Taylor said:

On 4/25/2022 Taylor Ward hit 2 homers against Shane Beiber and the Indians Guardians, and finished the day with an OPS of 1.225.

On 4/25/2023 Taylor had an OPS of .655 (He did get 2 hits against the A's that day though and raised his OPS to a whopping .669....nice).

 

I decided to screenshot his batting stance/swing to see if there is a visual difference (The 2022 at bat is his 1st HR off Beiber). I am not a hitting coach and this is purely an amateur visual commentary:

 

1.) The stance. My first thought is that he looks a lot (this year) like the light hitting Ward we all remember pre-2022. His left leg is slightly in a more open stance, elbow is higher, and the bat isn't as level off the shoulder.

He also generally looks less imposing. I remember early in 2022 watching his ABs and thinking "This guy looks like he is gonna hit the ball hard"

 

2.) The leg kick. he already looks off balance. in the 2022 game he looks to be kicking "up" with his stance ready to drive the ball. In the 2023 he seems to be kicking "forward" and flying open.

 

3.) The follow through. This is the most striking to me. The 2022 AB (HR) his head is level, his left leg is balanced, he seems to be driving off of it.  The 2023 AB (Swinging K) he is pretty off balance, seems to be coming off his left heel.

 

 

This is just a small sample size, I could be talking out of my ass, and MLB has a lot smarter people looking into far more advanced stuff than an arm chair guy like me who can struggle his way through a photoshop.

But most of us have watched baseball for most of, if not, all our lives and we've seen enough ABs to kind of have a "feel" for when someone doesn't quite look right. Taylor Ward currently doesn't look right in the box.

(Thank you for attending my TED talk, lol)

Interesting read. 
 

I’d like to see side by side pictures of him swinging at a pitch in the same location both years.  In yours, the picture from this year is decidedly more inside than the pitch from last year. In fact, it looks like it isn’t even a strike whereas the picture from last year is a much better pitch to swing at. Not criticizing you personally as I greatly appreciate people who are willing to do this kind of tedious work. 

[John Taylor]

10 minutes ago, Tank said:

Interesting read. 
 

I’d like to see side by side pictures of him swinging at a pitch in the same location both years.  In yours, the picture from this year is decidedly more inside than the pitch from last year. In fact, it looks like it isn’t even a strike whereas the picture from last year is a much better pitch to swing at. Not criticizing you personally as I greatly appreciate people who are willing to do this kind of tedious work. 

Thats why added the "I could be talking out of my ass" part of the post, lol

 

He definitely doesn't have the look of a guy who is going to do damage, and he looks more like the super light hitting Taylor Ward before he had his swing adjusted.

[Jeff Fletcher]

In my story today he basically said he was cheating to pull inside pitches and was essentially getting himself out of line instead of driving straight though and going up the middle or to right center

 

also, Trent Woodward is here. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

18 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

also, Trent Woodward is here. 

Never mind. He's not.

[Angel Oracle]

Nice season Ward!

.631 OPS

[AngelFanInTheATL]

Burt Ward > Sela Ward > Taylor Ward 

[Angel Oracle]

36 minutes ago, AngelFanInTheATL said:

Burt Sela Ward > Sela Burt Ward > Taylor Ward 

FIFY

[Angelsjunky]

Send him down to AAA to fix his plate approach and regain confidence, give Moniak a shot.

[Angels 1961]

26 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Send him down to AAA to fix his plate approach and regain confidence, give Moniak a shot.

I agree cannot just keep playing him. Bring up Moniak and DFA Philips and send that HR hat to trash can.

[Taylor]

22 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

In my story today he basically said he was cheating to pull inside pitches and was essentially getting himself out of line instead of driving straight though and going up the middle or to right center

 

also, Trent Woodward is here. 

If he knows the problem, why doesn't he fix it?

[Angelsjunky]

24 minutes ago, Taylor said:

If he knows the problem, why doesn't he fix it?

Because...

[Biergott]

I heard Adell came out of the game early tonight…

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, Biergott said:

I heard Adell came out of the game early tonight…

...because he was hurt. 

 

 

[Biergott]

23 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

...because he was hurt. 

 

 

Hope he’s not hurt too badly

[Angel Oracle]

10 hours ago, Biergott said:

Hope he’s not hurt too badly

Out until June 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

[Dtwncbad]

I also studied some video of Ward during some of his productive streaks and compared it recent at bats.

After analyzing frame by frame and think I really have figured out the problem.  His ears are too big.

[Angels 1961]

Can someone explain why Philips is still on team? 

[Jeff Fletcher]

22 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

Can someone explain why Philips is still on team? 

Because they believed that Ward, Trout and Renfroe were all everyday OFs and there weren’t enough starts to keep someone like Moniak or Adell sharp. And Phillips does two things at an elite level: play defense and run. And they’re giving up nothing by letting his bat sit and get cobwebs on it. 
 

Now, if this goes on much longer for Ward - like a month longer - I think that equation changes. In that case they might have to re-evaluate if Ward is an everyday OF, and if he’s not, then there is enough playing time for Moniak/Adell and they can DFA Phillips. 
 

But for now Ward has earned a longer leash. Even with 3 bad months in the middle of last season he finished with an .830 OPS or so. That’s better than Renfroe. 
 

When I talked to him he seemed to be in a pretty good place in which he was aware what he was doing wrong and he was trying to fix it. Sometimes I talk to guys and they just shrug and say “I think I’m hitting the ball fine and just not getting them to fall.” He did not do that. 

[Dtwncbad]

30 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

Can someone explain why Philips is still on team? 

Because anyone you imagine in that very limited role would be wasting away doing nothing rather than developing.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Dtwncbad

[Angels 1961]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Because they believed that Ward, Trout and Renfroe were all everyday OFs and there weren’t enough starts to keep someone like Moniak or Adell sharp. And Phillips does two things at an elite level: play defense and run. And they’re giving up nothing by letting his bat sit and get cobwebs on it. 
 

Now, if this goes on much longer for Ward - like a month longer - I think that equation changes. In that case they might have to re-evaluate if Ward is an everyday OF, and if he’s not, then there is enough playing time for Moniak/Adell and they can DFA Phillips. 
 

But for now Ward has earned a longer leash. Even with 3 bad months in the middle of last season he finished with an .830 OPS or so. That’s better than Renfroe. 
 

When I talked to him he seemed to be in a pretty good place in which he was aware what he was doing wrong and he was trying to fix it. Sometimes I talk to guys and they just shrug and say “I think I’m hitting the ball fine and just not getting them to fall.” He did not do that. 

Yesterday halos up by 3 in 9th Philips and his elite defense not in game. He has not been used, again for me get me a LH bat on bench you can use. Moniak could give Ward day off along with Trout and Renfroe. In a year when is suppose to be must win all stops should be taken.

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 minute ago, Angels 1961 said:

Yesterday halos up by 3 in 9th Philips and his elite defense not in game. He has not been used, again for me get me a LH bat on bench you can use. Moniak could give Ward day off along with Trout and Renfroe. In a year when is suppose to be must win all stops should be taken.

Yeah, I thought that Phillips was going to be used there too. But they had Ward pinch-hit for Lamb against a LHP (and it worked, because Ward drew a two-out walk and then Rengifo drove in an insurance run). Once Ward is in the game, there's no reason to burn Phillips too. I imagine if they had been at a different spot in the order and they didn't need to PH for Lamb, they would have just put Philips in.

[Angels 1961]

17 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Yeah, I thought that Phillips was going to be used there too. But they had Ward pinch-hit for Lamb against a LHP (and it worked, because Ward drew a two-out walk and then Rengifo drove in an insurance run). Once Ward is in the game, there's no reason to burn Phillips too. I imagine if they had been at a different spot in the order and they didn't need to PH for Lamb, they would have just put Philips in.

When Ward, Trout and Renfroe they are all good defensive players. My thing having a bat on bench that can also play OF. Rengifo is the 4th OF now and used as super sub. In my opinion halos have little use for Philips and first 30 games proves it.

[Jeff Fletcher]

14 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

When Ward, Trout and Renfroe they are all good defensive players. My thing having a bat on bench that can also play OF. Rengifo is the 4th OF now and used as super sub. In my opinion halos have little use for Philips and first 30 games proves it.

Well you can't have Rengifo as the super sub without actually having another OFer on the team. You don't want Rengifo to have to play all 9 innings with a lead, and if you just have to bring whoever has the day off (Ward, Trout, Renfroe) off the bench for defense then you're really not getting the full benefit of giving him a day off in the first place.

And the fact that Phillips has batted only 6 times tells you that there's not much playing time for Moniak or Adell. If you have one of those guys sitting around batting 4 times a week, and then one of your starters gets hurt, that guy probably isn't going to be as useful as an everyday player since he's just been sitting around doing nothing. This way, if Ward/Trout/Renfroe gets hurt and needs to be replaced by another everyday player, they can pick from Adell or Moniak (or even Adams), all of whom have been playing everyday. Aside from the fact that they will have their timing because of regular playing time, you are getting a lot more data on how good each of them is. You're not learning anything about them if they're sitting on the bench in the majors. 

[Angels 1961]

Ward's day off he PH and played LF. Most teams use DH as giving someone day off from playing in field. If you want your team to win player would be available to PH or enter game late if needed. Angel's seem they cannot use DH to rest players. Rengifo played 7 inn in OF and I'm sure another 2 inn would not matter. Philips yesterday was not used for his elite defense. In Boston on a Monday Trout given day off as he was that Friday. Ward could use day off with his struggles that would be 3 games Monoiak could have started. Halos have a 5th OF that they do not use.

[Angels 1961]

2 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Well you can't have Rengifo as the super sub without actually having another OFer on the team. You don't want Rengifo to have to play all 9 innings with a lead, and if you just have to bring whoever has the day off (Ward, Trout, Renfroe) off the bench for defense then you're really not getting the full benefit of giving him a day off in the first place.

And the fact that Phillips has batted only 6 times tells you that there's not much playing time for Moniak or Adell. If you have one of those guys sitting around batting 4 times a week, and then one of your starters gets hurt, that guy probably isn't going to be as useful as an everyday player since he's just been sitting around doing nothing. This way, if Ward/Trout/Renfroe gets hurt and needs to be replaced by another everyday player, they can pick from Adell or Moniak (or even Adams), all of whom have been playing everyday. Aside from the fact that they will have their timing because of regular playing time, you are getting a lot more data on how good each of them is. You're not learning anything about them if they're sitting on the bench in the majors. 

In my opinion Philips 6 AB says they do not need him. Goes back to Angel's only team to offer him a MLB contract.