Angels’ Taylor Ward has earned his ticket to big league camp

It isn’t exactly unheard of for a first-round draft pick to be invited to the very next big league spring training camp.

However, in the case of the Los Angeles Angels’ top pick in the 2015 amateur draft Taylor Ward, he has certainly earned his spot with the team in Tempe this spring.

Ward was at first an unpopular pick by the Angels, at least according to both analysts and fans.

The Angels signed Ward to a $1.6 million contract, a number just below his slot value of $2 million, and again were criticized for overpaying the young catcher.

Ward has performed well enough that he deserves the honor to partake in big league camp.

The Angels already have 24-year-old Carlos Perez, who backed up former Angels’ catcher Chris Ianetta in 2015.

If Ward can keep performing and either Soto or Perez goes down with an injury, then there is a very slight chance he might get into a game in 2016.

That scenario would be highly unlikely and unusual as the Angels would be more likely trade for a replacement catcher as opposed to bringing up an unproven draft pick who is so new to professional baseball.

Nothing in baseball is ever set in stone, but for now Ward should feel honored being invited to big league camp this spring.