In three years, he went from starring for Fresno State to shining in his MLB debut

Welcome to the Big Show, Taylor Ward.

And by the looks of the his Major League debut Tuesday night, the big leagues must’ve felt like the minor leagues, where the former Fresno State star excelled throughout this season.

Ward, 24, shined in his debut, finishing 2 for 3 with a run and one RBI to help the Los Angeles Angels win 7-3 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.

Ward’s first game in the majors, by the way, occurred about a three-hour drive from his hometown of Indio.

“I was a little nervous early on,” Ward said after the game, according to The Orange County Register. “Around the third inning I felt a lot better. I slowed the game down and was able to start breathing again.”

A first-round pick out of Fresno State in 2015, Ward started at third base, though he’s spent the majority of his career as a catcher, and batted seventh.

He wasted no time making an impact, driving in the game’s first run with an opposite-field double to right field during his first at-bat.

On his second at-bat, Ward drew walk and eventually scored.

Then on his third at-bat, he got on base again, this time with a single.

This final line looked quite similar to what Ward produced in the minors this year before his long awaited promotion.

Ward hit .349 with 14 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 18 steals, along with a .977 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 102 games between Double-A and Triple-A combined this season.

Those who followed Ward at Fresno State might be familiar with what he can produce.

In his final season with the Bulldogs, Ward was an All-Mountain West first-team selection after hitting .304 with a team-high seven home runs and 42 RBIs, along with an on-base percentage of .413 and fielding percentage of .986.

Ward is the fourth first-round pick in Fresno State coach Batesole’s 16-year tenure.

He is the eighth former Bulldogs player to suit up in the majors this season, headlined by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

Other former Fresno State players in the Majors: Chicago Cubs reliever Justin Wilson, Texas Rangers pitcher Doug Fister, Washington Nationals reliever Justin Miller, Boston Red Sox reliever Justin Haley, Baltimore Orioles catcher Austin Wynns and Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jordan Luplow.

“You definitely get a little nervous,” Ward told the OC Register. “Falling asleep at night and thinking about it. Absolutely you start to think about it. You just hope for this day.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 11:49 PM.