C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians OF #24 Je’Von Ward – C's Plus Baseball

The latest C’s Chat is with 2024 Vancouver Canadians outfielder Je’Von Ward.

The Cerritos, California native shared something in common with his father this past season by playing professional sports in Canada. After playing with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1984-1987, Reggie Ward was a wide receiver with the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Rough Riders in 1988 and 1989, scoring a punt-return touchdown in Calgary on August 1, 1989. The elder Ward also played at the SkyDome in Toronto against the Argonauts 20 days later, a place Je’Von hopes he will play one day.

Another football connection in Je’Von’s family is his uncle Mark Carrier, a 1990 first-round pick of the Chicago Bears, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a three-time Pro Bowler who also played for the Detroit Lions (1997-1999) and Washington (2000).

Despite those gridiron ties, Je’Von decided to play on the diamond instead as an outfielder and first baseman. He played baseball at Long Beach Poly High School for three years before transferring to Gahr High School in Cerritos for his senior year in 2017. Ward took part in several Perfect Game and Under Armour tournaments and played for a travel team called the EvoShield Canes.

At one point in time, Ward seriously considered going to college at the University of Southern California where his uncle Mark attended. Instead of becoming a Trojan, he decided to turn pro. Baseball America pointed out (subscription only) that Ward’s performance at the 2017 Boras Classic as a 17-year-old at the time helped convince the Milwaukee Brewers to select him in the 12th round of that year’s draft and give him a signing bonus of $475,000.

Ward reported to the Arizona Summer League for his introduction to pro ball and batted .276 with 15 runs batted in over 32 games with the AZL Brewers. In 2018, he reported to Helena of the Pioneer League and slashed .307/.391/.403 with two home runs among 17 extra-base hits, 21 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases in 64 games. Helena manager Nestor Corredor told Baseball America that Ward was “my most consistent hitter. 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.” The left-handed hitting Ward cut down his strikeouts from 30 percent in 2017 to 21 percent in 2018 and bumped up his walk rate from 7 to 12 percent. BA ranked Ward as the 16th-best prospect in the Pioneer League in 2018 and the 26th-best prospect in the Brewers system. MiLB.com also named Ward an organizational All-Star.

Ward’s first exposure to full-season ball did not go according to Hoyle as he batted just .225 in 109 games with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2019. Ward was back with Wisconsin again in 2021 after COVID and did bump his batting average to .259 in 75 games, thanks to a 17-game hitting streak from May 14-June 11.

Unfortunately, Ward was bitten by the injury bug in 2021 as he suffered a knee injury during extended spring training in May before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September. He would not play again until the Brewers assigned him to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League in 2022. Ward’s biggest moment was a home run off San Francisco Giants lefthander Carson Whisenhunt. Ward batted .231/.400/.385 with three doubles and four stolen bases in five attempts in the Desert.

It was back to Appleton, Wisconsin again for Ward in 2023 and despite career-high totals of eight homers and 26 extra-base knocks, he batted .231 with the Timber Rattlers and was released in the latter part of August. However, Ward regrouped by heading to a Driveline Baseball training facility to work on his game.

In 2024, Ward joined the Kane County Cougars of the American Association, an MLB Partner League. His stay with the Illinois-based club lasted for 22 games after he put together a batting line of .292/.388/.416 with six doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBI and eight stolen bases in 10 tries. That home run came on Canadian soil as his seventh-inning round-tripper broke up a no-hitter and turned out to be the only run of the game as Kane County blanked the Winnipeg Goldeyes on June 4.

The next home run Ward would hit also came north of the border as he signed a free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on June 13. He made his Vancouver Canadians debut a memorable one by homering in the seventh inning again for a game-tying blast in an eventual win over Spokane at Nat Bailey Stadium on June 15. After hitting .269 in 15 June contests, Ward had a tough July in which he batted only .200. However, he more than made up for it with a blazing August by slashing .317/.448/.500 and putting together a 25-game on-base streak from August 6 to September 4. Ward finished the regular season hitting .279/.393/.443 with 12 home runs, seven home runs and 35 runs batted in. He was 7-for-9 in stolen bases and led the Northwest League with eight sacrifice flies.

In the Northwest League Championship Series against Spokane, Ward drew walks in Games 1, 2 and 4 with a base hit in Game 1 and a stolen base and game-winning run in Game 2.

C’s Plus Baseball chatted with the now 25-year-old Ward during the team’s last regular season homestand against Eugene in September. This interview has been edited for clarity.

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C’s Plus Baseball – Let’s just start with how you arrived with the Blue Jays. How did it all come about?

Je’Von Ward – Basically, I started the season off in Indy Ball in the American Association with the Kane County Cougars, and about 20 games in, about a month or two in, the Blue Jays picked up my contract and I’ve been in Vancouver all summer, a Canadian summer.

CPB – Was it (Blue Jays director of minor league operations) Charlie Wilson who reached out to you?

JW – Charlie Wilson, yeah. He called my manager (George Tsamis). He gave me a call and said, ‘Hey, the Blue Jays just called. They’re picking up your contract. You should get a call shortly.’ And it was a really, really cool moment. It was really, really nice. I’ve been grinding this past offseason. I was working out tirelessly because I was a free agent from August of (2023) until I went to Indy Ball. It happened really quickly. Let’s just say that. So I’m very grateful to be here.

CPB – Your Indy Ball experience with players of all ages. I’ve heard it’s similar to Double-A, I’ve heard it’s like High-A. How did you find your experience there?

JW – I couldn’t put a level on it because, yeah, sometimes you face guys that are really good and sometimes you face guys that aren’t so good. And I think, not the coolest thing, but the most interesting thing I saw there was player-coaches, and I think I’d never seen that before, so that was pretty interesting. But to sum up Indy Ball, it’s a humbling experience for sure, but it was a lot of fun. It really felt like high school summer ball again. I found a different love of the game again playing Indy Ball, to be honest with you.

CPB – I know you have kind of a football background with your father and your uncle, but how did you get started in baseball?

JW – For some reason, when I was younger, I’ve always just kind of liked it more. I did all the sports. I kind of did everything, but for some reason, I could sit and watch a baseball game and I think my parents kind of knew that was odd. Especially at the time it was like, ‘Yeah, we’ve always played football or basketball or doing something.’ How do I not say this? I always say baseball is a thinking man’s game, but you can’t think too much. So yeah, honestly, I just always gravitated towards baseball and here we are.

CPB – What do you remember about getting picked up by the Brewers?

JW – High school was cool. I got recruited by USC, committed when I was a sophomore or junior. Went through the whole high school circuit. I played for a cool travel team called the EvoShield Canes. That was really fun, just getting exposure through that process and stuff. I was actually at my high school graduation rehearsal, and I got drafted by the Brewers. It was kind of funny. They drafted me in the 12th round in 2017. But yeah, it was a really cool moment.

CPB – Was it a tough decision to decide to turn pro instead of looking at the college route?

JW – Honestly, at the time, yeah, it was. It was definitely a toss-up. I think at the end of the day, I think the only question when I really had to get down to it was like, ‘What do you want to do? What’s the ultimate North Star?’ I always ask people like what their North Star is, right? My North Star is to play in the MLB, right? So I might as well go do that now. I got an opportunity to do that now.

CPB – Is this the first time you’ve been in Canada?

JW – So, funny story. I played with Kane County earlier this year and I went to Winnipeg. No disrespect at all, it was a very different place and then I came here and it was like completely different. It’s funny. You got like East Coast Canada and West Coast Canada. Vancouver’s beautiful. I love it here.

CPB – The first game you played. Getting introduced to a new team but you had the best introduction, getting a home run in that first game. What do you remember about that game and that home run?

JW – Up to that point, I’ve taken some really good swings since then, but that was probably the best swing I had taken like my entire career just to pull the ball in the air, pull-side, like how hard I hit it. And you know, it felt really good to be honest with you. I couldn’t really put a word to it, how it felt. I just took in the moment and just playing here in Vancouver, seeing all the fans erupt and when stuff like that happens, there’s nothing like it. It’s amazing. That’s what we play for.

CPB – How would you compare the crowd experience here in Vancouver to anywhere where you’ve played? Vancouver’s considered one of the top experiences.

JW – This is the top experience. I’ll personally say that. I’ll stand on that for anyone who wants to argue with me, but no, there’s nothing like this place.

CPB – I wanted to ask about the catch.

JW – Which one?

CPB – The one where you tumbled over (the right field wall in foul territory versus Everett on August 22).

JW – Oh yeah, that was a tough one.

CPB – What do you remember about that that catch?

JW – Not too much to be honest with you. (laughs) I got a good jump on it. Honestly I was not really trying to fall over the wall, let’s just be real, you know? But like I said, I got a good read on it and most of the time you got a bead on the ball, you’re gonna go for it so that was kind of it. There wasn’t too much thought behind it. Like I said, I feel like when you’re in the game, you’re kind of just flowing. I was really just flowing trying to make outs, you know? Do my job over there and I ended up making a cool play. It was funny, I watched the video after and it looked a lot worse for everybody (who saw it.) It looked a lot worse than it actually felt. I was okay, it was okay but yeah, it’s pretty cool though.

CPB – I remember in your next at-bat (after that catch), you got a hit so I thought, ‘Okay you can’t be feeling too bad because you got a hit’.

JW – Yeah,it was all right but yeah I will definitely be very cautious of that wall in right field from now on.

CPB – Things have really been going well for you. What’s been working for you lately?

JW – I think just being in there consistently every day. Seeing the ball every day helps a lot. Just making a couple few adjustments here and there. I think I’ve been playing for a little while now. I’ll say it myself. I felt the discernment of bats I’ve had now. I can adjust a little bit quicker and that’s kind of what we’re doing. That’s the name of the game, right? Who can adjust the quickest and be the most consistent every day. And that’s kind of what I’m trying to do is be consistent every day.

CPB – What’s your approach when you step into the batter’s box? Are there maybe certain keys or certain mechanics you kind of focus on when you dig in?

JW – Nothing crazy, to be honest with you. I try and keep my direction towards center field. Hit a line drive. I don’t even know how to explain this. Like, trying to hit a line drive through the center field wall if that gives you a cue of any sort. But I really only look for pitches, like, right down the middle. Because most of the stuff nowadays you face, it’s moving quite a bit. So, when you kind of set your sights in the middle, it helps quite a bit. And I think that’s helped a lot just with zone control and going after certain pitches, like, hunting certain pitches. And I know certain pitches I can handle now. It’s like ‘Alright, if I get this pitch, I can kind of go after it.’ So a lot of trial and error. It’s gotten to a point I’m very comfortable in there now so yeah I try and keep it as easy as possible. I’ve got this cue actually, the cue that I got a long time ago, from a coach. I drive the car so you think about you’re driving a car. You’re not really thinking too much, you’re kind of driving, right? I think sometimes we get in there and there’s a lot going on. We have all this data. You see the iPads and stuff and I think at the end of the day, there’s nothing that matters more than that moment right there. So being present in that moment, just kind of working and trusting the tools, trusting the skillset and just playing.

CPB – You mentioned a coach. Is there a coach who has helped you develop in your baseball career or who would you say was the most influential?

JW – The most influential was this past offseason I worked out at Driveline Baseball. I just got down to like really ground zero and kind of like revamped everything and worked with those guys over there and it’s been tremendous. I still consult them still throughout the season just to kind of like go over some stuff. But if I could pick one thing from last year to this year, it’s definitely like getting to working over there and doing some stuff over there. And it’s been awesome. I just feel like my whole perspective of baseball is different. Kind of like I said, you can adjust quicker. It’s not like game to game. We can go pitch-to-pitch or at-bat to at bat like. Why not expedite the process? You can.

CPB – How have you found hitting here at Nat Bailey Stadium? Would you say it’s more of a pitchers park?

JW – Kinda sort of. I’ve hit a decent amount of balls out of here so well. You can see the ball really well. Like I said, the fans here and playing here, there’s nothing like it. It’s amazing, I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else, you know? This is beautiful.

CPB – You’ve seen time in the outfield corners. Do you have a preference there?

JW – Anywhere on the grass, man, I’m good. Anywhere on the grass. I’m playing center tonight (September 7). Anywhere on the grass, I’ll be ready to go every day.

CPB – What are some of the differences between the outfield positions. Is it just the way the ball comes at you?

JW – It’s really just sometimes the way it’s spun off the bat, like how guys spin the ball. That’s why it’s kind of nice to pay attention to those guys when they hit because you get a little bit better idea, you know what I mean? Just how the ball is going to come off the bat to make the right read and do stuff like that. But right field, the righties, the ball tails a little bit, lefties and left field ball tail, it’s kind of just the opposite. You kind of just got to get used to it. It’s very different, though. I say, in my opinion, I think left field’s harder than right and center in my opinion. It’s just a little bit different. I guess I’m very comfortable in all of them. Like I said, it’s a lot of work and a lot of process.

CPB – You were talking about catches earlier. What would you say is the best catch you’ve ever made?

JW – Man, that’s a tough one. Did you see the play I made in left-center? Where I full like sprawled out (August 6 versus Eugene)? Yeah, anytime I can like kind of full out dive, I think it’s awesome. I would say either that dive I made in left-center or even we played against Tri-City earlier this year and I made a dive like coming in. I think like trusting the dive because I kind of just go for it. So one of the diving catches for sure. I’m staying away from that (foul right field) wall as much as I can.

CPB – Your shoe game. You have white shoes, the yellow shoes are what you debuted here with. Who would you say has the best shoe game on the team?

JW – I think Kendry Rojas. Rojas is really cool. He’s got some cool stuff. Irv Carter is up there. Bryce Arnold has some cool stuff. I think everyone’s kind of got their own swag. I always say that. Everyone’s kind of got their own drip. So, I don’t know. There’s no ranking system. I think everyone’s got their own swag.

CPB – Did you have a favorite Major League team or player growing up?

JW – My player is (Barry Bonds), Bonds for sure. How can you not? And it’s funny, this is the first time ever I have worn 24 and it’s been working, so I might have to keep with it, I might have to keep wearing it but yeah, why not? Definitely Bonds. Just to see a hitter, like a left-handed hitter do what he did. I mean, the words. I don’t even need to (tell you), you can go look it up. It’s amazing to be honest with you. So I’d say Bonds for sure.

CPB – Final question. The Canadians have five different uniforms—white, red, black, blue and gray. Do you have a favourite?

JW – It’s definitely between the black and the blue. I love the traditional blue, but I like the black unis too. I’m glad that we have more than two. It’s really nice to be able to rotate all the uniforms, but I’d say it’s either the blue or the black for sure.

Je’Von Ward File

Born – October 25, 1999, in Cerritos, California
Height/Weight – 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Bats/Throws – Left/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 8 with the Arizona League Brewers in 2017. Wore number 8 with the Rookie-Level Helena Brewers in 2018. Wore number 4 with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from 2019, 2021 and 2023. Wore number 14 with the Arizona Fall League Glendale Desert Dogs in 2022. Wore number 24 with the Kane County Cougars in 2024.
First Professional At-Bat – July 10, 2017, with Arizona League Brewers at AZL White Sox. Drew walk against Edinxon Arias.
First Professional Hit – July 12, 2017, with AZL Brewers against ACL Angels. Singled against Ryan Clark.
First Professional Home Run – July 1, 2018, with Helena Brewers at Great Falls Voyageurs. Homered against Chris Comito.
Walkup Music – “… Yo Man” by King Von.
Twitter – @SaintLaurentVon
Fun Facts – Ward is the first player in Wisconsin Timber Rattlers history book to hit for the cycle by going 5-for-6 with five RBI and four runs scored in a slugfest win at Beloit on August 8. Ward’s two-run homer and RBI single drove in 2023-2024 Vancouver Canadians catcher Kekai Rios.