Je’Von Ward Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Je'Von Vincent Ward
Born 10/25/1999 in Cerritos, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Gahr
Drafted in the 12th round (354th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017 (signed for $475,000).

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Ward has a premium build and bloodlines, but a chronic lack of performance leads to divisive opinions. Ward stands a lithe 6-foot-5, 190 pounds. His father played football at Notre Dame and his uncle Mark Carrier was a first-round NFL draft pick and three-time Pro Bowl safety. Despite that foundation, Ward has rarely lived up to its promise. He transferred from Long Beach Poly to Gahr as a senior and sat out the required 30 days before becoming eligible and largely failed to impress. Ward's bat speed is average at best and he infrequently gets to his average raw power. He is not as athletic as he appears and is just an average runner and a poor defender. Ward is one of the youngest players in the class, so a team willing to be patient could take a chance on his body and youth in the top 10 rounds. He is committed to Southern California.

Top Rankings

Track Record: Ward drew uneven reviews his senior year of high school, but the Brewers gambled on the tools they saw in the 2017 Boras Classic and the fact he was just 17 at the time. They paid him $475,000 as a 12th-rounder, nearly four times the recommended slot amount, to forgo a scholarship to Southern California. Ward made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League and looked raw, but he moved up one notch to Rookie-level Helena in 2018 and flourished offensively as his tools came together.

Scouting Report: Ward is the son of former Notre Dame wide receiver Reggie Ward and the nephew of former Pro Bowl NFL safety Mark Carrier. With those bloodlines, his best attribute is his above-average speed and long strides. That speed gives Ward an advantage breaking out of the left side of the batter's box and also makes him a threat to steal bases. It also allows him to cover the gaps well in center field, although his instincts need work. The Brewers think Ward also has untapped, average power potential that will come forth as he gets more experience and learns how to unleash it in games. For now, he has a compact lefthanded swing that made more contact as the year went on and his strike-zone awareness improved.

The Future: The Brewers think there is upside to be developed in a still very young player with Ward. With further skill development, he may move to low Class A Wisconsin in 2019.

Ward has a premium build and bloodlines, but a chronic lack of performance leads to divisive opinions. Ward stands a lithe 6-foot-5, 190 pounds. His father played football at Notre Dame and his uncle Mark Carrier was a first-round NFL draft pick and three-time Pro Bowl safety. Despite that foundation, Ward has rarely lived up to its promise. He transferred from Long Beach Poly to Gahr as a senior and sat out the required 30 days before becoming eligible and largely failed to impress. Ward's bat speed is average at best and he infrequently gets to his average raw power. He is not as athletic as he appears and is just an average runner and a poor defender. Ward is one of the youngest players in the class, so a team willing to be patient could take a chance on his body and youth in the top 10 rounds. He is committed to Southern California.

A raw talent with some athleticism on a lean, lanky body, Ward improved significantly in his second pro season when the Helena coaching staff got him to focus on his entire game and not just on hitting. "He was my most consistent hitter," Helena manager Nestor Corredor said. "And in most of the second half he was my leadoff guy because he showed that he knew the strike zone and swing at good pitches." Ward cut his strikeout rate from 30 percent in his 2017 Arizona League season to 21 percent and upped his walk rate from 7 to 12 percent. He has a compact swing with opposite-field gap power but can still improve his zone awareness and getting more loft in the swing. He's an average to above-average runner with enough arm to handle an outfield corner. Ward played his entire second season at 18, so there's still plenty of time for more growth.