Thaddeus Ward Stats & Scouting Report

IP	119.2
ERA	5.64
WHIP	1.73
BB/9	7.07
SO/9	8.05

Full name Thaddeus J. Ward
Born 01/16/1997 in Fort Myers, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 204 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Central Florida
Debut 04/01/2023
Drafted in the 5th round (160th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2018 (signed for $275,000).

View Draft Report

Ward has been one of UCF’s top relievers the last two years and this year posted an impressive 11.94 strikeouts per nine innings. Listed at 6-foot-3, 182 pounds, Ward has solid size and has a powerful fastball-slider combination. His fastball sits 92-95 mph, touching 96 mph, and he pairs it with a sharp slider. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot and pitches with average control.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Though Ward pitched mostly as a sinker/slider long reliever in college, the Red Sox believed he had the potential to add to those quality pitches to emerge as a starter. Ward added a four-seamer, cutter and curveball while dominating in two levels of Class A in 2019. But he blew out in early 2021 in Double-A Portland. Tommy John surgery sidelined him into the middle of 2022. Ward made an impressive return, forging a 2.28 ERA across four levels in 13 starts, concluding the year at Portland. The Nationals selected Ward with the first pick in the major league Rule 5 draft.

Scouting Report: Ward's strength remains his sinker--which was mostly 91-92 mph and topped out at 94 in 2022--and sweeper slider. His cutter plays from the same tunnel, which helped him leave righthanded hitters guessing. They hit .162/.227/.235. Ward's curveball is fringy and his four-seamer was ineffective, and he was hit hard by lefthanded hitters (.290/.389/.419 with 19% strikeouts and nearly 13% walks. Those splits combine with a below-average changeup to make him a safer bet as a reliever than as a starter, though improved four-seam command with a healthy offseason could give him back-of-the-rotation potential.

The Future: The Nationals believe Ward has another gear to reach as he returns from surgery. He is believed to be a starter long term but must build up his durability. Ward probably will be eased into the rotation by working in relief first. He must remain on Washington's active roster or else be offered back to the Red Sox if he clears waivers first.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Cutter: 45. Control: 45.
Track Record: The Red Sox saw untapped potential when scouting Ward as a sinker/slider swingman in college. Improved velocity and the development of a cutter in 2019—as well as work on a changeup and four-seamer—gave him a mix that contributed to one of the lowest ERAs (2.14) and highest strikeout rates (29.9%) of any pitcher to throw 100 innings. But after the shutdown of 2020, Ward made just two appearances in Double-A Portland in 2021 before blowing out his elbow in May and having Tommy John surgery in June.

Scouting Report: In 2019, Ward worked largely at 93-96 mph with his sinker while showing a slider with plus potential. Both the cutter and slider tunneled well off his sinker. The changeup was a point of emphasis for Ward during the 2020 shutdown. He is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery that created the expectation of control gains—but, of course, the return from Tommy John could set back that anticipated progression.

The Future: Ward seemed a candidate to fast-track after 2019, but the lost 2020 season followed by Tommy John surgery altered that trajectory completely and resulted in the Red Sox leaving him off the 40-man (and Rule 5 eligible) after the 2021 campaign. Pre-surgery, he had a No. 4 starter’s ceiling with a middle-innings floor and a potential 2021 or 2022 big league debut. Now, it would represent success for him to return to the mound in games in 2022.
Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
Track Record: Ward was largely overlooked as a swingman who worked chiefly out of the bullpen at Central Florida. The Red Sox thought he had the ability to emerge as at least a reliever and might be able to start, so they took a flier on him in the fifth round in 2018. Ward rewarded that decision with a standout 2019 season in which both his ERA (2.14) and strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) were among the best in the minors by any pitcher who threw at least 100 innings. He spent the canceled 2020 season working out on his own and developing a changeup.

Scouting Report: Thanks to strength gains in pro ball, Ward’s sinker ticked up from a low-90s offering to a 93-96 mph pitch in 2019. Both that pitch and a cutter he developed in 2019 allow him to miss barrels and generate bad contact early in counts. Ward’s mid-80s slider is his putaway pitch. While those three pitches are his primary options, Ward is willing to employ additional pitches—including a four-seamer and changeup—to further unbalance opponents and to give him game-planning options. He has an easy delivery but struggles with walks at times.

The Future: Ward likely will open 2021 in Double-A. He has back-of-the-rotation potential. .
TRACK RECORD: Largely overlooked as a college swingman, Ward impressed the Red Sox with the movement and command of a low-90s sinker and a potential swing-and-miss slider. They committed to drafting him in the fifth round in 2018, figuring he had a solid reliever floor. But while working as a starter in his first full pro season, Ward rapidly surpassed the team's expectations with one of the best performances of any starter in the minors, posting the ninth-best ERA (2.13) and 20th-best strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) among those who threw at least 100 innings.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ward showed unexpected velocity in 2019, working at 93-96 mph with his sinker and topping out at 97. Yet it was the development of a cutter that tunneled off his two-seamer and mid-80s slider that allowed Ward to induce weak contact in the strike zone as well as chases outside of it. He also occasionally features a changeup and curveball. The rangy righty has an easy delivery without a ton of effort, creating the basis for command and hope for health, and he also shows an understanding of his mix that could keep him on an aggressive development track.

THE FUTURE: Ward is likely to begin 2020 at Double-A, where he'll hope to continue to build his case as a potential No. 4 starter.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Slider in the Boston Red Sox in 2020

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Though Ward pitched mostly as a sinker/slider long reliever in college, the Red Sox believed he had the potential to add to those quality pitches to emerge as a starter. Ward added a four-seamer, cutter and curveball while dominating in two levels of Class A in 2019. But he blew out in early 2021 in Double-A Portland. Tommy John surgery sidelined him into the middle of 2022. Ward made an impressive return, forging a 2.28 ERA across four levels in 13 starts, concluding the year at Portland. The Nationals selected Ward with the first pick in the major league Rule 5 draft.

Scouting Report: Ward's strength remains his sinker--which was mostly 91-92 mph and topped out at 94 in 2022--and sweeper slider. His cutter plays from the same tunnel, which helped him leave righthanded hitters guessing. They hit .162/.227/.235. Ward's curveball is fringy and his four-seamer was ineffective, and he was hit hard by lefthanded hitters (.290/.389/.419 with 19% strikeouts and nearly 13% walks. Those splits combine with a below-average changeup to make him a safer bet as a reliever than as a starter, though improved four-seam command with a healthy offseason could give him back-of-the-rotation potential.

The Future: The Nationals believe Ward has another gear to reach as he returns from surgery. He is believed to be a starter long term but must build up his durability. Ward probably will be eased into the rotation by working in relief first. He must remain on Washington's active roster or else be offered back to the Red Sox if he clears waivers first.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Cutter: 45. Control: 45.
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Though Ward pitched mostly as a sinker/slider long reliever in college, the Red Sox believed he had the potential to add to those quality pitches to emerge as a starter. Ward added a four-seamer, cutter and curveball while dominating in two levels of Class A in 2019. But he blew out in early 2021 in Double-A Portland. Tommy John surgery sidelined him into the middle of 2022. Ward made an impressive return, forging a 2.28 ERA across four levels in 13 starts, concluding the year at Portland. The Nationals selected Ward with the first pick in the major league Rule 5 draft.

Scouting Report: Ward's strength remains his sinker--which was mostly 91-92 mph and topped out at 94 in 2022--and sweeper slider. His cutter plays from the same tunnel, which helped him leave righthanded hitters guessing. They hit .162/.227/.235. Ward's curveball is fringy and his four-seamer was ineffective, and he was hit hard by lefthanded hitters (.290/.389/.419 with 19% strikeouts and nearly 13% walks. Those splits combine with a below-average changeup to make him a safer bet as a reliever than as a starter, though improved four-seam command with a healthy offseason could give him back-of-the-rotation potential.

The Future: The Nationals believe Ward has another gear to reach as he returns from surgery. He is believed to be a starter long term but must build up his durability. Ward probably will be eased into the rotation by working in relief first. He must remain on Washington's active roster or else be offered back to the Red Sox if he clears waivers first.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Cutter: 45. Control: 45.
BA Grade: 45/High

August Update: Ward has returned from Tommy John surgery and is pitching for Double-A Portland. The command is not all the way back, but prior to the injury Ward was on a back-end starter trajectory.

Track Record: The Red Sox saw untapped potential when scouting Ward as a sinker/slider swingman in college. Improved velocity and the development of a cutter in 2019—as well as work on a changeup and four-seamer—gave him a mix that contributed to one of the lowest ERAs (2.14) and highest strikeout rates (29.9%) of any pitcher to throw 100 innings. But after the shutdown of 2020, Ward made just two appearances in Double-A Portland in 2021 before blowing out his elbow in May and having Tommy John surgery in June.

Scouting Report: In 2019, Ward worked largely at 93-96 mph with his sinker while showing a slider with plus potential. Both the cutter and slider tunneled well off his sinker. The changeup was a point of emphasis for Ward during the 2020 shutdown. He is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery that created the expectation of control gains—but, of course, the return from Tommy John could set back that anticipated progression.

The Future: Ward seemed a candidate to fast-track after 2019, but the lost 2020 season followed by Tommy John surgery altered that trajectory completely and resulted in the Red Sox leaving him off the 40-man (and Rule 5 eligible) after the 2021 campaign. Pre-surgery, he had a No. 4 starter&#39s ceiling with a middle-innings floor and a potential 2021 or 2022 big league debut. Now, it would represent success for him to return to the mound in games in 2022.
Track Record: The Red Sox saw untapped potential when scouting Ward as a sinker/slider swingman in college. Improved velocity and the development of a cutter in 2019—as well as work on a changeup and four-seamer—gave him a mix that contributed to one of the lowest ERAs (2.14) and highest strikeout rates (29.9%) of any pitcher to throw 100 innings. But after the shutdown of 2020, Ward made just two appearances in Double-A Portland in 2021 before blowing out his elbow in May and having Tommy John surgery in June.

Scouting Report: In 2019, Ward worked largely at 93-96 mph with his sinker while showing a slider with plus potential. Both the cutter and slider tunneled well off his sinker. The changeup was a point of emphasis for Ward during the 2020 shutdown. He is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery that created the expectation of control gains—but, of course, the return from Tommy John could set back that anticipated progression.

The Future: Ward seemed a candidate to fast-track after 2019, but the lost 2020 season followed by Tommy John surgery altered that trajectory completely and resulted in the Red Sox leaving him off the 40-man (and Rule 5 eligible) after the 2021 campaign. Pre-surgery, he had a No. 4 starter’s ceiling with a middle-innings floor and a potential 2021 or 2022 big league debut. Now, it would represent success for him to return to the mound in games in 2022.
Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
Track Record: Ward was largely overlooked as a swingman who worked chiefly out of the bullpen at Central Florida. The Red Sox thought he had the ability to emerge as at least a reliever and might be able to start, so they took a flier on him in the fifth round in 2018. Ward rewarded that decision with a standout 2019 season in which both his ERA (2.14) and strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) were among the best in the minors by any pitcher who threw at least 100 innings. He spent the canceled 2020 season working out on his own and developing a changeup.

Scouting Report: Thanks to strength gains in pro ball, Ward's sinker ticked up from a low-90s offering to a 93-96 mph pitch in 2019. Both that pitch and a cutter he developed in 2019 allow him to miss barrels and generate bad contact early in counts. Ward's mid-80s slider is his putaway pitch. While those three pitches are his primary options, Ward is willing to employ additional pitches—including a four-seamer and changeup—to further unbalance opponents and to give him game-planning options. He has an easy delivery but struggles with walks at times.

The Future: Ward likely will open 2021 in Double-A. He has back-of-the-rotation potential. .
Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
Track Record: Ward was largely overlooked as a swingman who worked chiefly out of the bullpen at Central Florida. The Red Sox thought he had the ability to emerge as at least a reliever and might be able to start, so they took a flier on him in the fifth round in 2018. Ward rewarded that decision with a standout 2019 season in which both his ERA (2.14) and strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) were among the best in the minors by any pitcher who threw at least 100 innings. He spent the canceled 2020 season working out on his own and developing a changeup.

Scouting Report: Thanks to strength gains in pro ball, Ward’s sinker ticked up from a low-90s offering to a 93-96 mph pitch in 2019. Both that pitch and a cutter he developed in 2019 allow him to miss barrels and generate bad contact early in counts. Ward’s mid-80s slider is his putaway pitch. While those three pitches are his primary options, Ward is willing to employ additional pitches—including a four-seamer and changeup—to further unbalance opponents and to give him game-planning options. He has an easy delivery but struggles with walks at times.

The Future: Ward likely will open 2021 in Double-A. He has back-of-the-rotation potential. .
Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
Track Record: Ward was largely overlooked as a swingman who worked chiefly out of the bullpen at Central Florida. The Red Sox thought he had the ability to emerge as at least a reliever and might be able to start, so they took a flier on him in the fifth round in 2018. Ward rewarded that decision with a standout 2019 season in which both his ERA (2.14) and strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) were among the best in the minors by any pitcher who threw at least 100 innings. He spent the canceled 2020 season working out on his own and developing a changeup.

Scouting Report: Thanks to strength gains in pro ball, Ward’s sinker ticked up from a low-90s offering to a 93-96 mph pitch in 2019. Both that pitch and a cutter he developed in 2019 allow him to miss barrels and generate bad contact early in counts. Ward’s mid-80s slider is his putaway pitch. While those three pitches are his primary options, Ward is willing to employ additional pitches—including a four-seamer and changeup—to further unbalance opponents and to give him game-planning options. He has an easy delivery but struggles with walks at times.

The Future: Ward likely will open 2021 in Double-A. He has back-of-the-rotation potential. .
TRACK RECORD: Largely overlooked as a college swingman, Ward impressed the Red Sox with the movement and command of a low-90s sinker and a potential swing-and-miss slider. They committed to drafting him in the fifth round in 2018, figuring he had a solid reliever floor. But while working as a starter in his first full pro season, Ward rapidly surpassed the team’s expectations with one of the best performances of any starter in the minors, posting the ninth-best ERA (2.13) and 20th-best strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) among those who threw at least 100 innings.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ward showed unexpected velocity in 2019, working at 93-96 mph with his sinker and topping out at 97. Yet it was the development of a cutter that tunneled off his two-seamer and mid-80s slider that allowed Ward to induce weak contact in the strike zone as well as chases outside of it. He also occasionally features a changeup and curveball. The rangy righty has an easy delivery without a ton of effort, creating the basis for command and hope for health, and he also shows an understanding of his mix that could keep him on an aggressive development track.

THE FUTURE: Ward is likely to begin 2020 at Double-A, where he’ll hope to continue to build his case as a potential No. 4 starter.
TRACK RECORD: Largely overlooked as a college swingman, Ward impressed the Red Sox with the movement and command of a low-90s sinker and a potential swing-and-miss slider. They committed to drafting him in the fifth round in 2018, figuring he had a solid reliever floor. But while working as a starter in his first full pro season, Ward rapidly surpassed the team's expectations with one of the best performances of any starter in the minors, posting the ninth-best ERA (2.13) and 20th-best strikeout rate (11.2 per nine innings) among those who threw at least 100 innings.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ward showed unexpected velocity in 2019, working at 93-96 mph with his sinker and topping out at 97. Yet it was the development of a cutter that tunneled off his two-seamer and mid-80s slider that allowed Ward to induce weak contact in the strike zone as well as chases outside of it. He also occasionally features a changeup and curveball. The rangy righty has an easy delivery without a ton of effort, creating the basis for command and hope for health, and he also shows an understanding of his mix that could keep him on an aggressive development track.

THE FUTURE: Ward is likely to begin 2020 at Double-A, where he'll hope to continue to build his case as a potential No. 4 starter.