Atlanta Braves Second Round Pick : Drew Waters

The Atlanta Braves second round selection is a Georgia native with great tools; Drew Waters.

It seems Drew waters was on the Atlanta Braves’ mind for a long time. In fact according to Mark Bowman writing for MLB.com, they were seriously considering taking him in the first round. They honor went to Kyle Wright but as the second round approached they had a good idea they’d get their man.

The Atlanta Braves had an inside man

Braves scouting director Brian Bridges told Bowman why he was chosen.

"“Drew comes to play. . .an old-school baseball player who has the ability and tools to carry himself to the next level. . . .”We know this kid inside and out, and we know what he brings to the table.”"

They should, last fall Waters played for a team coached by Fred McGriff who has worked as a scout for the Braves since John Hart and John Coppolella took over.

Crime Dog is a big fan of not only Waters talent but touted his intangibles to Bridges – he was very convincing.

". “He really believes in his ability and really believes in who he is. He wants to be at the plate in big situations. He has a lot of confidence in himself and he has a lot of confidence in his ability.”"

In my draft day live thread I said my if the Braves did not land Royce Lewis they could well opt for Waters and explained why.

". . .Waters is a switch hitter with big power from both sides of the plate, a plus arm and plus speed. He hits everything hard all over the field and can motor on the bases as well as in the field. . . ."

Now that he’s been selected I’ll expound on that.

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.

Drew Waters on Drew Waters

The Bless You Boys’ Jacob Markle interviewed Waters two weeks ago. It was a good interview with Drew covering a lot of ground, I suggested you read it all.

Related Story: The Braves Got it WRIGHT

Ask about his best tools Waters said:  “… one of my strongest tools is my ability to switch-hit and being able to do it with power from both sides of the plate… Also, I have a big arm from the outfield … ” Indeed one of the scouting reports suggested that Waters could end up in right field because his arm, defense and bat would play well there.

Waters feels he’s primarily an offensive player whose quick hands help him adjust to pitches late and that he’s “a smart baseball player… (who) plays the game a lot faster than my “60 time.”  I’m a quick runner, but I feel like I use my speed to my advantage. I’m always on the move.

He sounds like a confident young man who knows himself and his weaknesses – he talks about pitchers with legitimate pitches causing him trouble and making him adapt.

When Markle ask him about his leisure time he said only that he liked to go to the lake or the shooting range with his dad. The Local TV station blew his cover there.

It seems his senior project was a fund-raiser last November for a local child with cancer. One of the players who turned up was Tom Glavine. It seems the Braves were watching everything for a while.

On a personal level though it shows a young man caring enough to go out of his way to help.

That’s A Wrap

Hooray! I got one right; I’m a draft expert. . . okay I got lucky, or maybe great Freds think alike.

When I watched videos of him at the plate I immediately liked what I saw. The problem I had writing this was figuring out how to convey that to you so I looked for a comp and I found one I think you’ll recognize.

Justice is taller than Waters and I suspect even at his best he wasn’t as fast as the newest Braves prospect. But the swings sure look a lot alike. Defensively, I’d say perhaps Marquis Grissom with a better arm is a fair comp though.  Grissom was likely a bit faster.

I said to someone I thought of Waters as Royce Lewis light.  He’s not as fast as Lewis nor does he have superstar potential like last night’s first round pick. The tools are however similar, Waters will just have to work harder to make them major league ready.

Next: Gnats Swatted

Waters hits the ball hard – punishes it – he had the highest exit velocity in the Perfect game showcase last summer. He barrels the ball consistently and it sounds different off the bat even in the videos. Drafting a high school bat is a risk but Waters has the talent top make it.

That’s my view, I’m sure you’ll share yours with me now.