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Atlanta Braves Second Round Pick : Drew Waters

By Fred Owens

Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella during the MLB general managers meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella during the MLB general managers meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scouting report

The 6’ 4”, 200 pound native of Woodstock GA is a true athlete with power, speed, a good arm and strong defense.

Baseball America ($) says “… (his) offensive skillset … sets him apart.  legitimate power from both sides of the plate, … Even when he doesn’t loft the ball over the fence, Waters can hit screaming line drives or hard ground balls that skip through the infield… (he can become) at least an average hitter with plus power… scouts believe he will be a plus runner…”

MLB.com’s Scouting grades (Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50) support that view. Their report suggests he can hit the best fastballs his peers deliver.  His swing from the left side produces more home runs, while his swing from the right side  “… sends line drives from foul line to foul line.”  MLB likes the way he uses his plus speed “… to steal bases and play a solid center field.”

Perfect Game give some insight on his outfield defense as well as a more detailed look at his swing.following the summer 2016 showcase.

… (Waters swing)  … leg lift trigger with a big hand hitch load from both sides, timing is complicated but it worked very well in games… Long athletic build … (with) present strength and is very projectable physically.  6.69 runner, is smooth and fast through the ball in the outfield, fast compact arm action with outstanding arm strength and carry … Very interesting athlete who could end up as a power hitting/switch-hitting centerfielder with an easy plus arm.

Earlier this year Waters was being rumored as a first round pick for the Tigers. The folks over at Bless Your Boys considered him a high risk, high reward player saying that, “…due to the skill set he features, his ceiling isn’t as high as one would hope …”for an early first round pick and suggested he would have to be an “extraordinary hitter” to become an everyday player. In the end they concluded, “His ceiling is that of a center field mainstay with a decent bat…(but) end up a fourth outfielder.

That’s enough numbers, what about the young man.

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