Drew Waters isn’t on fire; he’s on a full nuclear meltdown. The 2nd round pick of the Braves in 2017 will likely be called up to Gwinnett soon. He’s had a slow start each time he’s moved up, but he’s officially the new boogeyman of the Southern League. Pitchers are having nightmares about facing him, and the numbers speak for themselves:
Drew Waters: @dwaters121
Since June 1 -38 games
.404/.444/.617Since July 1 -11 games
.488/.511/.634As a LHH: .359/.403/.558
As a RHH: .286/.317/.390vs. Older Pitchers:
.343/.384/.521Leads Southern League in:
BA (.343)
Hits (121)
Doubles (30)
Triples (9)
Runs scored (56)— BillShanks (@BillShanks) July 14, 2019
Drew is now leading the Southern League in Batting Average (.343), Doubles (30), Triples (9), Runs (56) and overall hits (121). His OPS is .905, and he’s only hit 5 home runs this season. Astronomical numbers aside, he provides plus defense and looks like he’s turning into a franchise corner piece.
So why am I bringing this up? Jon Morosi (hilariously) suggested we include Pache AND Ian Anderson in a trade package for Madison Bumgarner. That is an absolute joke for a rental package. There are three players (not on the major league roster) that are establishing themselves in “untradeable” territory. Pache and Anderson are two of them, and now Waters has entered the conversation.
Not only would I not trade Waters for Bumgarner, but there’s also a short list of players in the league I’d even consider moving him for. Max Scherzer, Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger… the list ends just about there. Waters is at the point of being untouchable. Combined with Cristian Pache & Ronald Acuña Jr., this Braves outfield has the chance to be the most dominant in all of baseball for 10+ years to come. That’s not an exaggeration. This group is oozing with that much upside. Pache himself has a .867 OPS with 11 long balls. His defense might be the best in all of the minors at every position. No matter what the Braves come across at the deadline, they can’t deal either of these guys right now. Let’s look at some potential names.
Bumgarner? Nope
Stroman? Ehh
Boyd? Nah
Bauer? No Thanks
Drew Waters has officially joined Anderson and Pache as the untouchable prospects in our system. These three guys, who will all likely be in Atlanta in 2020, will complete this roster and create a juggernaut with minimal additional outside help.
If you missed our interview with Drew, check it out here.