One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Ward's sinker moves 115.5 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
256 thrown, averaging 93.2 mph.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Ward throws a strike on the first pitch 47.8% of the time.
159 plate appearances started in 2023.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Ward throws a fastball 75.3% of the time, against 51.7% when he is ahead.
255 pitches behind in the count, 147 ahead.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Ward works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Sweeper and Cutter. The sinker is 37.3% of everything he throws.
687 classified pitches in 2023.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Ward averages 87.6 mph across his arsenal, 27th percentile in the league.
687 pitches in 2023. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 563rd in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Ward projects a .304 average, 81st percentile.
687 pitches in 2023. 81st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 148th in MLB.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Ward goes to the 4-seam fastball: 12.3% of his two-strike pitches, against 2.2% the rest of the time.
187 two-strike pitches in 2023.
He lives on one side of the plate
Ward works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.5 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
687 located pitches in 2023.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.1 mph separates Ward's sinker from his sweeper, 93.2 against 81.0.
256 and 246 of them respectively.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Ward throws 42.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 46% with the bases empty.
189 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 498 with the bases empty.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
16.9% of Ward's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
116 of 687 located pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Ward's cutter spins at 2,497 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
136 thrown in 2023.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .322 expected average against them, against .290 on his fastballs.
247 of his breaking balls thrown.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Ward releases the ball from a three-quarters slot, about 46 degrees above horizontal and 1.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
687 tracked release points, averaging 5.7 feet off the ground.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Ward's sinker leaves the bat at 90.3 mph, against 87.6 off his sweeper.
256 and 246 of them thrown.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Ward puts 50.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.1% when he is ahead.
255 located pitches behind, 147 ahead.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Ward releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
687 tracked pitches in 2023.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 37% of the contact Ward gives up is hit hard, 64th percentile.
687 pitches in 2023. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 282nd in MLB.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Ward's stuff spins at 2,291 rpm, 61st percentile in the league.
687 pitches in 2023. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 301st in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Ward's sinker averages 93.2 mph, and has touched 95.7.
256 thrown, 37.3% of his pitches.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Ward has thrown 34 4-seam fastballs this season, 4.9% of his pitches, at 93.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
687 classified pitches in 2023.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Ward's sinker moves 115.5 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
256 thrown, averaging 93.2 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He falls behind hitters far too often
Ward throws a strike on the first pitch 47.8% of the time.
159 plate appearances started in 2023.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Ward throws a fastball 75.3% of the time, against 51.7% when he is ahead.
255 pitches behind in the count, 147 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Ward goes to the 4-seam fastball: 12.3% of his two-strike pitches, against 2.2% the rest of the time.
187 two-strike pitches in 2023.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Ward puts 50.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.1% when he is ahead.
255 located pitches behind, 147 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Ward works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Sweeper and Cutter. The sinker is 37.3% of everything he throws.
687 classified pitches in 2023.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.1 mph separates Ward's sinker from his sweeper, 93.2 against 81.0.
256 and 246 of them respectively.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Ward's cutter spins at 2,497 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
136 thrown in 2023.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Ward's sinker leaves the bat at 90.3 mph, against 87.6 off his sweeper.
256 and 246 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Ward's sinker averages 93.2 mph, and has touched 95.7.
256 thrown, 37.3% of his pitches.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Ward has thrown 34 4-seam fastballs this season, 4.9% of his pitches, at 93.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
687 classified pitches in 2023.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Ward averages 87.6 mph across his arsenal, 27th percentile in the league.
687 pitches in 2023. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 563rd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Ward projects a .304 average, 81st percentile.
687 pitches in 2023. 81st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 148th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 37% of the contact Ward gives up is hit hard, 64th percentile.
687 pitches in 2023. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 282nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Ward works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.5 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
687 located pitches in 2023.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
16.9% of Ward's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
116 of 687 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Ward throws 42.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 46% with the bases empty.
189 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 498 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .322 expected average against them, against .290 on his fastballs.
247 of his breaking balls thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Ward releases the ball from a three-quarters slot, about 46 degrees above horizontal and 1.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
687 tracked release points, averaging 5.7 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Ward releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
687 tracked pitches in 2023.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Ward's stuff spins at 2,291 rpm, 61st percentile in the league.
687 pitches in 2023. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2023, 301st in MLB.
Nationals
Career team 2023