"Let's start with this: in 97 games last year, Braiden Ward stole 57 bases and was only caught 7 times. Over the course of his minor league career, he has stolen a total of 211 bases while only being caught 33 times. For reference, David Hamilton stole 185 bases while being caught 32 times in the minors. Ward is one of the fastest men in baseball."
"Unfortunately, speed alone is not enough to get a player to the big leagues. So does Ward have the goods in the rest of his game? Well, sadly, he has no power to speak of, having posted a career minor league slugging percentage of just .382. He just doesn't hit the ball hard at all, putting up a sixth percentile average exit velocity in AAA last season."
"But what he does do is make contact, hit the ball to all fields, and control the strike zone. His 14.1% strikeout rate in 2025 would have been the 17th-best mark in all of AAA had he qualified, and his walk rate was above average for AAA as well. On top of that, he's said to be a strong bunter and gets hit by pitches a lot."
Braiden Ward, from the greater San Diego area and an El Capitan High School alum, was selected in the 16th round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Washington and was traded from the Rockies to the Red Sox for reliever Brennan Bernardino. He is a versatile defender who has played outfield and infield but is primarily a center fielder. In 97 games last year he stole 57 bases and was caught seven times; his minor league totals include 211 steals and 33 times caught. Ward posts a .382 minor-league slugging percentage and ranked in the sixth percentile for average exit velocity in AAA. He makes consistent contact, hits to all fields, posted a 14.1% strikeout rate in 2025, showed above-average walk rates, has bunting ability, and was hit by pitches 53 times over two seasons. Adding bat speed and modest power would materially improve his major-league outlook.
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