Breaking News: Washington Nationals select Thad Ward, RHP, in the Rule 5 draft
For the first time in 12 years, the Washington Nationals had a selection in the Rule 5 Draft and they selected RHP Thad Ward who was formerly part of the Boston Red Sox organization.
For the first time in 12 years, the Washington Nationals had a selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Since the Nationals finished with the worst record in the MLB during the 2022 season, the Nationals were able to receive the top spot in the 5 Rule Draft.
And now the pick is in...
The Washington Nationals have chosen RHP Thad Ward, who was previously part of the Boston Red Sox Organization. During the 2022 season, Ward had a 0-1 record with a .228 ERA over 13 games pitched. He struck out 66 while playing for the double-A Boston-affiliated Portland Sea Dogs.
Ward, the soon-to-be 26-year-old, had Tommy John surgery in 2021, returned healthy late in the season, and pitched in the Arizona Fall League.
Ward, 25, went 0–2 with a 2.28 ERA in 13 starts across four levels of Boston’s Minor League system in 2022. He struck out 66 batters and held opposing batters to a .212 batting average in 51.1 innings pitched. Ward posted a 2.84 ERA with 15 strikeouts in four games (three starts) during the Arizona Fall League season.
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound right-hander was Boston’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019 after leading the system with 157 strikeouts. He went 8–5 with a 2.14 ERA in 25 starts between Single-A Greenville and High-A Salem in his first full professional season. Ward did not pitch during the 2020 season and underwent Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery on June 3, 2021.
Ward entered the 2022 season rated as the №15 prospect in the Red Sox organization according to MLB Pipeline and the №19 prospect according to Baseball America. He was among Boston’s top 10 prospects in 2021 (№10) and 2020 (№7) and was cited by Baseball America as having the organization’s “best control” in 2021 and “best slider” in 2020.
Ward was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Central Florida. He is 8–10 with a 2.53 ERA, 10.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings and a .218 opponents’ batting average in 51 career Minor League starts.
We will have a full profile of the newest member of the Washington Nationals in the coming days.
