Amid a crowded outfield picture that already features an abundance of left-handed hitters, Braiden Ward faces long odds to make the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster.
But with virtually the entire outfield group away from Fort Myers for the World Baseball Classic, Ward is taking his opportunity and running with it.
Acquired this offseason from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Brennan Bernardino, Ward has become an everyday fixture in the Red Sox lineup over the past week. The 27-year-old non-roster invitee has taken full advantage of his newfound playing time, showing off his top tier speed while racking up stolen bases at a historic pace.
Ward is currently 16 for 17 on stolen base attempts in 15 Grapefruit League games, which was the most in MLB by far entering Wednesday’s Red Sox off day. According to FanGraphs, Ward’s 16 thefts is tied for the most by any player in a single spring since 2006, matching San Francisco’s Eugenio Velez’s total from 2008 with two weeks of games still to play.
Ward is also batting .448 with a .543 on-base percentage, and in a short period of time he’s proven himself to be a prolific bunter.
“The speed is real,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said recently in Fort Myers. “He’s one of those guys that he’s very unique, and we’ll see what happens during the season but thinking ahead, I’m like those are the guys you need in September, you need in October, we might need him before but he’s getting our attention.”
Originally a 16th-round pick out of the University of Washington in 2021, Ward has set himself apart throughout his minor league career for his ability to get on base and cause havoc. He’s recorded 50 or more stolen bases in three of his first four full professional seasons, including a career-high 57 last season with a .290 average and .395 OBP.
He’s also demonstrated a willingness to step into harm’s way, being hit by a pitch 25 or more times in three seasons as well. To put that into perspective, Randy Arozarena led MLB last year with 27 in 160 games. Ward was hit 25 times in only 80 games in 2023 and was plunked a career-high 34 times in 119 games in 2024.
In an era that emphasizes power and bat speed, old school small ball has become something of a dying art, but Ward believes his skillset is still valuable in today’s game.
“You look at this last World Series how many times both teams if they had the right guy on second or third, I remember one game went to the 17th inning and there were like eight guys thrown out at the plate in bang-bang plays,” Ward told the Herald in Fort Myers last week. “So having a little bit of speed when you can’t hit that homer is a necessity.”
Red Sox outfielder Braiden Ward has made the most of his extended playing time this spring. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Red Sox fans know better than most how big a difference one extra base can make. Dave Roberts’ stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series now lives in franchise lore thanks to its role in kicking off the club’s 3-0 comeback against the Yankees.
Even if Ward doesn’t break camp with the Opening Day roster, it’s not hard to imagine him potentially filling a similar role as a late-inning pinch runner down the stretch.
In the meantime, Ward said his time in big league camp has been a valuable learning experience.
“Having these guys, great players, great teammates, you look up to them, they’re amazing people that take you in as a friend and you ask them all these questions, I’ve learned so much from them already,” Ward said. “Now I get to watch them and hopefully have success in the World Baseball Classic, and I get to have that opportunity to get a few more ABs and a few more looks from (Cora) to develop that trust going into the future.”
He also got to enjoy a little taste of the tournament himself when Team Puerto Rico came to JetBlue Park last week for a raucous exhibition.
“I talked to all my friends after, like dude, there was a conga line going on, there were seven bands all at once, it was crazy,” said Ward, who played in the 2018 College World Series. “It was one of the coolest baseball experiences I’ve ever had.”
Beyond simply getting more playing time with the big league club, this spring has also represented a larger breath of fresh air. Coming from the Rockies, an organization that has floundered in recent years and is coming off a historically poor 43-119 season, Ward said joining the Red Sox and seeing what the organization is about has been a huge and welcome change.
While he expressed gratitude to the Rockies for everything they did for him, he described his experience with the Red Sox as night-and-day.
“You have the dudes that have experience, that have been to the World Series, that might have a ring, that are Cy Young Award winners and MVPs, Gold Glovers, it’s a cool experience because they know how to win here right now, they’re ready, they’re ready for a World Series,” Ward said. “And everyone around you, the resources, the amount of money that’s being put into the minor leaguers and our recovery, it’s incredible. It’s been a game-changing thing for me, it’s eye-opening.”
In the coming days the Red Sox’s World Baseball Classic participants will steadily return to Fort Myers, and when Opening Day arrives Ward will most likely be in Triple-A Worcester’s starting lineup.
But Cora often says it takes more than 26 guys to win a championship, and if this spring has been any indication Ward will have a good chance to make his MLB debut and contribute at some point down the road.