Angels Manager Says There's No 'Quick Fix' For Slumping Slugger

Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is having difficulty hitting the ball as he usually does, contributing to the growing list of struggling Angels hitters.

The 31-year-old homegrown player is slashing .172/.215/.352, with a -0.2 WAR and an overall below-replacement-level bat.

His wRC+, a measurement of run creation where league average is 100, is at an abysmal 53, showcasing his struggles to make much of an impact at the plate.

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Over the past few seasons, particularly offensively, Ward has been an above-average player for the Angels, one of the few bats that the team can rely on. However, this season has been a different story.

Taylor Ward over the past two weeks.

OPS - .331 (ranked 199th out of 201)
wRC+ - -11 (201/201)
Batting Average - .079 (199/201)

Praying that he heats up soon, but for now I think we should be seeing more of Campero in Left Field. pic.twitter.com/hxtUUBiLgF
— Zach Neto for MVP (@angelsnuffy) May 3, 2025

Manager Ron Washington remains hopeful that Ward can overcome his slump, even if the metrics present a grim outlook.

“We know the track record of Taylor Ward. As long as he’s playing, he’s gonna figure it out, so we just gotta wait for him to figure it out,” Washington said, via Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register.

“There’s no quick fix. Gotta stay in the process and work it out. And right now, he’s being challenged, and I think he’s gonna rise to the challenge.”

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Ward's strikeout percentage is in the 20th percentile in the majors, while his walk rate is in the 18th percentile, though there are signs that it is only a matter of time until he gets back to hitting well.

He has a chase percentage in the 93rd percentile, indicating that he swings at quality pitches within the strike zone, while his whiff percentage is strong, sitting at the 71st percentile.

Ward's barrel percentage ranks in the 78th percentile, while his hard hit rate stands at the 72nd percentile. This suggests he is consistently making solid contact, yet it isn't currently converting into hits.

His at-bats do not warrant the struggles that the stat line shows, and Washington is seemingly right to keep showing faith in the established hitter.

While things will improve for the former first-round pick, his expected batting average and expected weighted on-base average are still below his usual level, indicating that he still needs to make changes to return to his typical hitting form.

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