In this baseball writing hobby of mine I get to know just about every Phillies minor league player and even some of their family members as they come thru the system. This is my ninth year of embedding myself in the player development process, it’s become a significant part of my daily routine. While it’s been my privilege to make these acquaintances this past year a family I knew from my days as founder and President of the Kennett Men’s Senior Baseball League in Kennett Square, PA which ran from 1989 to 2002 got to also experience the Phillies player development process.
Nick Ward signed with the Phillies on 12/19/22. I’ve been friends for a long time and played baseball in the Kennett Men’s league with his father Dan Ward. Nick approaches the game like his father - all out hustle, plays smart and always competes to win, a team first approach. Here’s my notes on his 2023 season :
UTL - Nick Ward - 28 years old - signed as free agent - 12/19/22 - West Chester University
2023 Stats : had a .270/.392/.371 slash line in 392 plate appearances for Jersey Shore with 8 doubles, 8 home runs and 50 RBIs - walked 54 times and stole 22 bases in 25 attempts. When he was promoted to Reading on 8/7/23 he was second in the South Atlantic League in runs scored (70) and fifth in OBP (.392). At Reading appeared in 21 games and had 92 plate appearances with a .200/.293/.325 slash line, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 10 walks. Defensively played all four infield positions - the majority of time was at third base - .950 fielding percentage in 199 chances and second base - .973 fielding percentage in 74 chances.
2023 Notes : It was a whirlwind nine months from November to September for the native of Kennett Square, PA. After playing independent baseball in the summer of 2022 in the Frontier League he joined the Adelaide Giants in November and was a lineup regular for the Australian Baseball League Champions and garnered strong consideration for league MVP. While playing in Australia he was offered and signed a minor league contract with the team he grew up rooting for. During the spring he not only made his debut in a Phillies jersey but also played for Team England in the World Baseball Classic. Coming out of spring camp Nick was assigned to High A Jersey Shore and was a BlueClaws lineup regular earning a promotion to Reading in August. After the minor league season ended he once again played for Team England, this time in the European Championship tournament. This winter he’s returned to Australia to play once more for Adelaide. Best way to describe him is that he’s a professional. Same attitude and approach day in and day out, team first and play to win, does whatever it takes to do so. Has a very patient approach at the plate, works counts and will take walks but can also turn on pitches to drive them. His OBP was exemplary, will line drive hits all over the field, ability to hit the pitch where it’s delivered. Just an all-around good ball player who’s the epitome of a winner, every team he’s a part of will compete, leadership by example. A positive and good person off the field as well.
Nick’s reflections : “My biggest takeaway was that being a part of the Phillies organization was everything I could’ve imagined and then some. It felt so good to be back in affiliated ball and have the opportunity to play with my hometown team. The biggest thing I am focusing on this offseason is my defense. I will need to be prepared to play multiple positions again next year, whether it’s with the Phillies or elsewhere. I will be mainly taking groundballs at shortstop to work on my footwork and then taking many reps at the other spots to assure my versatility.”
After the season Nick became a minor league free agent and on 12/23/23 I found out that he had signed a minor league contract to join the Atlanta Braves organization! The dream continues for the young man and I couldn’t be happier for him! Folks who don’t get the privilege of knowing these young men and their circle of support can’t realize what the effort is to be a pro ball player - it’s easy to criticize from afar but I get to watch them realize the push for their dream to come true - that’s a special honor I don’t take lightly. Best wishes to Nick as he continues his pursuit of making it to the show - I can truly say I knew him when 🤓.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
Note : I've partnered with Fanatics on Phillies Merchandise - if you would like to help support my website and articles here's a link to order merchandise - I get a small commission on any sales - thanks for the support.
Comments