Drew Waters 2021 Outlook: Aggressive Approach Hinders Offensive Development
4 years agoWaters is often mentioned in the same breath as fellow Braves' outfield prospect Cristian Pache. Our view, though, is that the former has a lot more to prove before he's worthy of similar hype. Waters definitely has promise due to his loud tools and athleticism but he has a rudimentary approach at the plate as witnessed by his poor career BB/K rate which hovers around 0.25 and hasn't shown any signs of improving. At a glance, his numbers don't look so bad but he's maintained a respectable batting average and on-base rate due to a career BABIP hovering around the .400 mark. Waters may be able to sustain higher-than-average BABIPs due to his combination of speed and hard-hit balls but not to the degree he's enjoyed to date. The young outfielder has some raw power potential due to his hard-hit-ball profile but he's going to need to increase his launch angle to tap into it. His career-high in home runs currently sits at nine. Like Pache, Waters has been moved aggressively through the Braves system and has consistently been one of the younger hitters in the league, which provides some hope that he'll show additional growth as a hitter as he enjoys some stability in the upper levels of the minor leagues. He's worth monitoring throughout the 2021 season from a redraft perspective but is an unlikely addition on draft day. He deserves some consideration in deep dynasty leagues but we see his ceiling as more of an average everyday player.