Top Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Ryan Ward is in his fourth spring training with the team, but after a dominant year in Triple-A last season, he’s hoping to fully break through to the majors.

Ward, an outfielder, played for the Oklahoma City Comets last year, leading the Pacific Coast League in home runs (36), RBIs (122) and total bases (315).

He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player and was named to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in November.

With him turning 28 years old in the coming days, Ward has experience in the organization, though he told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain an expiring contract left him with doubts about the future.

Fortunately, “all got answered with one phone call.”

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“I’ve been here for seven years, this will be my eighth year,” Ward told Sonja Chen of MLB.com. “It was starting to get real, like, is it gonna be staying here or going to free agency? So when they called me, and being able to stay here and be with this organization and all the people here, it was really exciting.”

What Does Ward Bring to the Table?

As mentioned, Ward has years of experience in professional baseball, and it was initially thought he could replace Michael Conforto, who left in free agency, but the big-ticket signing of Kyle Tucker filled in that spot.

That said, Ward could be the top option to step in if Tucker, Andy Pages or Teoscar Hernandez are unable to take the field.

Perhaps that’s why the Dodgers kept him despite exploring trade options for the valued prospect.

Ward’s Mindset With MLB Debut on the Line

Ward told McKain that he realizes this spring training could go a long way in determining his baseball future.

“To me it’s like, ‘Okay, you’re going to get your opportunity, you better be ready.’ So [I’m] really taking advantage of all this time and getting myself into the best spot possible to earn that opportunity,” Ward said.

It’s a continuation of his mindset last season. Even as he drew fans’ attention for his MVP season, he was more focused on trying to “kick the door down” and get into the majors.

“I love the sport, I appreciate it more than anything,” he said. “But I’m trying to control what I can control … keep your feet where they are, focus on what’s at hand.”