If the Boston Red Sox put outfielder Braiden Ward on their postseason roster, he could be an asset on the bases.
Ward stole 61 bases in 109 games for the Worcester Red Sox this past season, setting the Red Sox all-time Triple-A stolen base record. He even got a yearlong supply of Teddie Peanut Butter for his achievement.
While outfielder Eli White's injury creates a potential opportunity for Ward to make the playoff roster as a pinch runner, he could give the team more than a half-inning contribution on the bases.
That's because he plays defense well enough that the big-league club would likely feel comfortable with him in the outfield for an inning or two if the situation arose, WooSox manager Iggy Suarez told NewBostonPost.
“Oh, for sure. I think what he can provide with his speed is incredible," he said. "I think he could change a game on the bases. He could definitely change a game in the outfield. You know, he cuts balls off in the gaps real well. He can throw a little bit. It’s not like he’s a guy that has a weak arm. He gets balls quickly, and that’s what we want to be able to do. We want to be able to cut down 90 feet, where baserunners potentially go an extra base, and you can do that with his speed.
“So I can definitely see him being an option and definitely kind of being an impact. It would be awesome to see him out there. I mean, we’ve seen it all year here, and it’s been fun.
“Like I always say, I’m glad he’s in our clubhouse and in our dugout, because I can only imagine — I can just hear from other dugouts — they’re annoyed with him, right? So I’m just glad he’s on our side.”
While the Red Sox have arguably the best defensive outfield in Major League Baseball, Ward could give the team some roster flexibility.
If an injury happened late in a game, they could use Ward as a defensive replacement and keep another outfielder – like righty Jahmai Jones, a below-average defender, according to Statcast – available as a pinch hitter. Or, if Ward pinch-ran for an outfielder in the top of the ninth, he could stay in the game and play the outfield in the bottom of the ninth.
Also, if the Red Sox used an outfielder – like Jones, Jarren Duran or Roman Anthony – as the designated hitter, they could pinch-hit for him with another outfielder late in the game and still have Ward available on the bench as a defensive option. They could also use an outfielder to pinch-hit for a non-outfielder and still have Ward available to play.
Primarily a center fielder, Ward played all three outfield positions for the WooSox this season. He had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, meaning he didn't make any errors. He also had five outfield assists.
Ward told NewBostonPost that while he's known for his speed, he has put immense work into his defense.
"I take pride in defense," he said. "Because at the end of the day, saving runs is just as good as, or just as important as, hitting, scoring runs. And so if I can stop a guy from scoring in the outfield, that might as well be an RBI for myself.
"And so if you can't hit, because hitting's really hard, the only thing you can do is play defense. You can control that. And so I take pride in that."
For now, Ward is one of about six players on what he calls the taxi squad – a group of players practicing down in Fort Myers, Florida, at Boston's spring training facility in case the team needs them this week or in the postseason.
"I'm just gonna assume it's gonna be similar to spring training," he said. "You know, wake up, go to the field, lift, hit, defense, maybe hit some lives and do whatever you need to do, then just go home.
"I'm comfortable there," he added about Fort Myers. "Facility, I love it. Love the area. I got my coffee shops, got my food spots. So it's gonna be kind of just like a little rest, a little vacay. I get to play baseball as well.
"So I'm excited to head down there, but I'd rather be up with the boys. But that's out of my control, so just do what I can do."
