74 Drew Waters LF

Waters (thumb) started in right field and went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk Sunday in Triple-A Gwinnett's 6-2 loss to Nashville.

Before rejoining the lineup Sunday, Waters hadn't played since June 12 while managing a sore thumb. Though he's apparently healthy again, Waters may need to cut down on his strikeouts before Atlanta seriously entertains the idea of promoting him. After striking out in 36.1 percent of his plate appearances in his first taste of Triple-A in 2019, Waters has only modestly trimmed that rate (31.1 percent) so far this season.

Waters hasn't played for Triple-A Gwinnett since Thursday due to a sore thumb, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Gwinnett hasn't placed Waters on the 7-day injured list, so the affiliate appears to be viewing the outfielder as day-to-day at this point. The 22-year-old switch hitter is slashing .279/.375/.414 with three home runs and eight stolen bases across 128 plate appearances for Gwinnett this season.

Waters received an invitation to major-league spring training Monday.

The 22-year-old doesn't appear to be a favorite to make the Opening Day roster, but a debut sometime this season seems very likely. He's already reached the Triple-A level, though he struggled there in 26 games for Gwinnett in 2019, striking out 36.1 percent of the time en route to an 84 wRC+. He whiffed a far more palatable 25.2 percent of the time at lower levels, however, so it would hardly be a surprise to see him sort things out and push for a big-league job fairly early in the year.

Waters will be a part of the Braves' 60-man roster, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Braves' highly-touted prospect appeared in major-league camp this spring, but he struggled with strikeouts as he hit .167 with a 14:2 K:BB over 26 plate appearances before play was suspended. The 21-year-old has solid power and speed, but he'll need to work on his hit tool this season while developing with the team's 60-man roster. His ability to capably play all three outfield positions could lead to him getting some inconsistent MLB playing time this season.

Waters hit .167 with a 14:2 K:BB in 26 plate appearances in major-league camp.

He was not going to make the Opening Day roster even if he had a great spring training, but his 53.9 percent strikeout rate in this small sample made it clear that he still has work to do on the farm. Waters' plus raw power and plus speed make him a very appealing fantasy prospect, but the development of his hit tool in the coming year will be critical. Fortunately, he won't turn 22 until December, so he is ahead of schedule.

Waters was invited to the Braves' big-league camp Wednesday.

Waters may not be in serious consideration for an Opening Day roster spot, but his debut likely isn't too far off. He slashed a strong .319/.366/.481 in 108 games for Double-A Mississippi last season. However, he still has something to prove at the Triple-A level, as he slashed just .271/.336/.374 (84 wRC+) in a small sample of 26 games for Gwinnett.

Waters went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old made a splashy International League debut after posting a .319/.366/.481 slash line in 108 games to earn a promotion from Double-A Mississippi. Waters is far from a finished product -- he had a 26.7 percent strikeout rate in the Southern League, and he hasn't homered since June 15 -- but if he impresses at the top level of the minors, he'll position himself for a potential big-league debut in 2020.

The Braves promoted Waters from Double-A Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Thanks to Austin Riley's advancement to the majors in addition to the sizable power spike he's displayed at Double-A this season, Waters will likely finish 2019 as the top prospect in Atlanta's organization. The switch-hitting Waters could burnish his standing even more with a strong showing at Gwinnett to close out the year, though a September promotion to Atlanta may not be in the cards unless the Braves lose multiple outfielders to injury. Waters wrapped up his time at Double-A with a .319/.366/.481 slash line (146 wRC+) and a 13-for-19 success rate on stolen-base attempts.

Waters went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored for Double-A Mississippi on Thursday.

The 20-year-old switch hitter leads the Southern League in batting average at .326, and the rest of his slash line (.373 OBP and .509 SLG) is outstanding as well. Waters is far from a finished product -- he's struck out 98 times in 82 games against 22 walks, and he's needed 15 attempts to steal 10 bases -- but he's still flashing five-category upside, and with Austin Riley's graduation he now stands as the No. 1 fantasy prospect in the Atlanta system.

Waters went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a triple, a stolen base and three runs scored for Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old hasn't homered since May 7, but that doesn't mean he isn't terrorizing Southern League pitchers. Waters is hitting .380 (19-for-50) over his last 13 games with three doubles and an eye-popping five triples, pushing his slash line on the season to .317/.363/.496. Waters is still striking out a lot -- 20 whiffs in that 13-game stretch and a 29.8 percent strikeout rate on the year -- and as a result, he's been streaky in his first exposure to the high minors, but his production when he does make contact has been excellent. Atlanta may want to see the K rate come down before considering a promotion for him, but whether he reaches Triple-A later this year or to begin next year, a 2020 big-league debut could be in the cards.

Waters went 3-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, two runs scored and two RBI for Double-A Mississippi on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old has been wearing out Southern League pitching lately, delivering six multi-hit performances in his last 10 games to push his slash line on the year up to .339/.375/.529. Waters' 7:37 BB:K in 29 games is the strongest sign that he still has things to work on, but if he sharpens his plate discipline he could earn a promotion to Triple-A before the end of 2019.

Waters went 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, a walk, three runs and three RBI on Sunday in Double-A Mississippi's 7-6 win over Montgomery.

The long ball was Waters' first of the season, but the 20-year-old has otherwise been racking up extra-base hits nicely through the first month of the season. The 20-year-old has already collected nine doubles through 72 plate appearances to bring his OPS up to .904.

Waters went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI for Double-A Mississippi on Thursday.

The 20-year-old is off to a hot start in his first exposure to the high minors, slashing .340/.397/.453 through 12 games with six two-baggers. Waters hasn't been completely dominant -- he's still looking for his first homer or steal, and his 5:16 BB:K is a little rough -- but it's still an encouraging performance given that he only had 30 games at High-A under his belt before getting this aggressive assignment to begin the season. The Braves' No. 5 fantasy prospect has five-category upside if he's able to put everything together.

The Braves promoted Waters from Low-A Rome to High-A Florida on Wednesday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Waters should settle into the everyday spot in the Florida outfield that was vacated by fellow organizational top-10 prospect Cristian Pache, who earned the call to Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday. Unlike Pache, who delivers most of his value through defense, baserunning and improving contact skills, Waters projects as more of a power bat in the long run. The 19-year-old paced the South Atlantic League with 32 doubles and 47 extra-base hits while chipping in 20 stolen bases on 25 attempts.

Waters went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored for Low-A Rome in Sunday's win over Charleston.

The 19-year-old now leads the South Atlantic League in doubles with 30, but the rest of his line isn't too shabby either -- .303/.351/.522 with nine homers and 18 steals in 22 attempts through 78 games. Waters has shot up prospect rankings in his first campaign in a full-season league, now sitting as the No. 3 fantasy prospect in a stacked Braves system, and a promotion to High-A may not be too far into his future.

Waters went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, a triple, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base for Low-A Rome in Wednesday's win over Lexington.

Since returning to the lineup May 9 from a minor undisclosed injury, Waters has been on a tear, hitting safety in 10 of his last 11 games with a .341/.396/.705 slash line. The 19-year-old's 6:28 BB:K through 27 games on the year makes it clear he still has plenty of things to work on, but his hit tool and athleticism make him a potential five-category asset if he develops as expected.