Taylor Ward

Ward's 2023 campaign came to an early end in late July after he was struck in the face by a pitch, which caused multiple fractures that required surgery. It was awful luck for the outfielder but nonetheless marks the second time in the past three seasons he's failed to reach 100 games played. Ward was mostly healthy in 2022 and delivered 23 homers and an .833 OPS, which he was unable to replicate last year before suffering the facial injuries. Still, he had an above-average bat (107 wRC+) with 14 home runs, four steals, 47 RBI, 60 runs and a .253/.335/.421 slash line in 97 contests. Ward seems unlikely to return to that All-Star level of production from 2022 but can still provide value for fantasy managers with solid power and contact skills, though durability concerns cap his ceiling heading into 2024. Read Past Outlooks