Out
Injury Oblique
Est. Return 4/14/2023
2022 Stats
AVG
.240
HR
5
RBI
18
R
14
SB
0
2023 Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Atlanta dealt Waters to Kansas City for the 35th-overall pick in the 2022 draft and two low-probability prospects. At the time of the mid-July trade, Waters' stock had slipped so much that many prospectors thought the Royals overpaid. Prior to the trade, the 23-year-old switch hitter had an 83 wRC+ in 49 games at Triple-A after registering a 94 wRC+ in 103 games at that level in 2021. Something clicked after the change of scenery, as Waters hit .295/.399/.541 with seven home runs and 13 steals in 31 games for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate while almost doubling his walk rate (14.0 BB%, up from 7.6%). He got a well-deserved promotion to the majors in late-August and hit .240/.324/.479 with five home runs, an 11.0 BB% and a 36.7 K% in 109 plate appearances while playing all three outfield spots. There is no projection or expected statistic that supports that level of play for Waters heading into 2023, but the Royals' depth chart portends that he will get plenty of work. His combination of power, speed and opportunity makes him a worthwhile consideration in deeper formats. Read Past Outlooks

Going through defensive drills
Waters (oblique) will participate in team defensive drills Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Waters has not yet been cleared to swing a bat, but he's making progress with his left oblique strain. The former Atlanta prospect might have been the Royals' Opening Day center fielder had he been healthy, but he's expected to be sidelined for at least the first few weeks of the season.
Waters has not yet been cleared to swing a bat, but he's making progress with his left oblique strain. The former Atlanta prospect might have been the Royals' Opening Day center fielder had he been healthy, but he's expected to be sidelined for at least the first few weeks of the season.
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
2022
2020
2022 MLB Game Log
Loading Batting Game Log...
Minor League Game Log

Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
2
2
12
9
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
1
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2020
+6%
OPS vs RHP
2022
+6%
OPS vs RHP
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2020vs Left | .769 | 28 | 2 | 8 | .222 | ||||
Since 2020vs Right | .814 | 80 | 3 | 10 | .246 | ||||
2022vs Left | .769 | 28 | 2 | 8 | .222 | ||||
2022vs Right | .814 | 80 | 3 | 10 | .246 | ||||
2021vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2021vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2020vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2020vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2020
+31%
OPS at Home
2022
+31%
OPS at Home
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2020Home | .918 | 52 | 2 | 9 | .289 | ||||
Since 2020Away | .699 | 56 | 3 | 9 | .196 | ||||
2022Home | .918 | 52 | 2 | 9 | .289 | ||||
2022Away | .699 | 56 | 3 | 9 | .196 | ||||
2021Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2021Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2020Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2020Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Drew Waters compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.30BB Rate
11.1%K Rate
37.0%BABIP
.353ISO
.240AVG
.240OBP
.324SLG
.479OPS
.803wOBA
.350Exit Velocity
84.1 mphHard Hit Rate
32.1%Barrels/PA
6.5%Expected BA
.195Expected SLG
.376Sprint Speed
24.7 ft/secGround Ball %
48.2%Line Drive %
17.9%Fly Ball %
33.9%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Drew Waters See More

James Anderson updates his Rookie Hitter Tiers for 2023 value only, in which Jordan Walker continues to make waves with a loud start to spring training.

James Anderson shares his results and process from this past weekend's AL-only LABR auction, in which his most expensive player was Vladimir Guerrero for $32.

Erik Halterman breaks down the competition for AL jobs, including in Minnesota where Nick Gordon likely will spend time at several spots around the diamond this season.

Todd Zola tackles the remainder of the winter's most fantasy-relevant moves, including the swap which sent Pablo Lopez to Minnesota and Luis Arraez to Miami.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
Still blessed with plus speed, above-average power and exit velocities that suggest he could eventually develop plus power, Waters has exciting fantasy-relevant tools and just turned 22 in December. He finished 2019 with a 36.1 K% over 26 games in his first exposure to Triple-A pitching as a 20-year-old and also had 14 strikeouts in 28 at-bats during big-league spring training in 2020, so it's been a while since he had sustained success in official games. Waters excelled at Double-A in 2019 (144 wRC+) despite playing half his games in a very pitcher-friendly park (Mississippi). The switch hitter reportedly focused on his right-handed swing (.664 OPS vs. LHP in 2019) along with improving his plate discipline while at the alternate training site. Waters projects as a plus defender in an outfield corner and should make his MLB debut this summer whenever a spot opens up.
More Fantasy News

Out six weeks with oblique strain
Waters will be sidelined for six weeks after being diagnosed with a left oblique strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.

Tweaks oblique
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Waters will be re-evaluated in a few days after recently tweaking an oblique muscle, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.

Drives in four runs
Waters went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Monday's 5-2 win over Cleveland.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.

Earns playing time to close season
Waters will start in left field and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Guardians.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.

Homers again Saturday
Waters went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two total runs scored in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Guardians.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.