Drew Waters Bio
Andrew David Waters, known professionally as Drew Waters, is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 after being selected in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. A former standout at Etowah High School in Georgia, Waters developed into a balanced outfielder whose game is built around contact, on-base skills, and speed on the bases.
Early Life and Background
Andrew David Waters was born on December 30, 1998, and grew up in Woodstock, Georgia, where he attended Etowah High School. He came from a baseball family, as his brother Zach Waters played college baseball at East Tennessee State and the University of Georgia, and later became the assistant coach of the varsity baseball team at Etowah High School.
Waters starred as a senior at Etowah, batting .516 with 15 home runs and 40 runs batted in while leading the team to a Class 7A state championship. Following the season, he was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and the Metro Atlanta High School Player of the Year. He committed to play college baseball at the University of Georgia for the Georgia Bulldogs before choosing to turn professional.
Path to Major League Baseball
The Atlanta Braves selected Waters in the second round, with the 41st overall pick, of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the Braves for a $1.5 million signing bonus, forgoing his commitment to the University of Georgia. Waters then began a steady climb through Atlanta’s farm system, reaching the major leagues five years later.
Drew Waters Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
After signing, Waters made his professional debut with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves, where he batted .347 with a .448 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage, along with two home runs, 10 runs batted in, and seven walks in a short stint. He was promoted to the Danville Braves of the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League, where he played 36 games and slashed .255/.331/.383 with two home runs and 14 runs batted in.
In 2018, Waters began the season with the Rome Braves of the Single-A South Atlantic League and earned All-Star honors before being promoted to the Florida Fire Frogs of the High-A Florida State League on August 1. Across 114 games between the two clubs, he slashed .293/.343/.476 with nine home runs, 39 runs batted in, and 23 stolen bases. In 2019, he opened the year with the Mississippi Braves of the Double-A Southern League and was again named an All-Star before earning a promotion in August to the Gwinnett Stripers of the Triple-A International League. Over 134 games, he batted .309/.360/.459 with seven home runs, 52 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases, and was named the Southern League Most Valuable Player. He was also selected for the United States national baseball team in the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament.
Atlanta Braves Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Waters did not play a minor league game in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though he was added to Atlanta’s 60-man player pool and trained with other players in Gwinnett during the summer. For the 2021 season, he was assigned to Gwinnett, then a member of the Triple-A East, and was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field in June. Over 103 games, he slashed .240/.329/.381 with 11 home runs, 37 runs batted in, and 28 stolen bases, and on November 18, 2021, the Braves added him to the 40-man roster.
Waters began the 2022 season on the injured list at Gwinnett and was activated in early May. Over 49 games with the Stripers, he batted .246 with five home runs and 16 runs batted in before being traded on July 11, 2022, to the Kansas City Royals along with CJ Alexander and Andrew Hoffmann. Atlanta received the 35th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, a competitive balance selection used on JR Ritchie, in return.
Kansas City Royals Era (2022–Present)
After the trade, the Royals optioned Waters to the Omaha Storm Chasers, where he hit .295 with seven home runs, 17 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases in 31 games. On August 22, 2022, the Royals promoted Waters to the major leagues. He collected his first career hit on August 24, a single off Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, and on September 5 he hit his first career home run, a two-run shot off Cleveland Guardians starter Triston McKenzie. In 32 games during his rookie campaign, he batted .240/.324/.479 with five home runs and 18 runs batted in.
Waters played in 98 games for the Royals in 2023, hitting .229/.300/.378 with 8 home runs, 32 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases. He was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2024 season and spent most of the year in the minors, with two short stints in the majors totaling seven games. With Omaha, he hit .290 with 13 home runs and 7 stolen bases in 109 games. In 2025, he was again optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the year, where he hit for the cycle for the first time in his professional career and was named International League Player of the Week for March 31 through April 6.
Driving Style and Strengths
Waters has shown the ability to play all three outfield spots and offers a mix of plate discipline, gap power, and above-average speed on the bases. His strongest stretches have come when he pairs his walk rate with aggressive baserunning, as seen in seasons with 20-plus stolen bases in the minors and double-digit steals in 2023.
Notable Events and Milestones
Waters’ most memorable moments include his first MLB hit against Zac Gallen, his first home run off Triston McKenzie, and a cycle hit for the Storm Chasers in 2025 that led to International League Player of the Week honors. He was also a member of the United States team at the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament.
Drew Waters Career Wins
Waters has built a steady professional record across the Gulf Coast League, Appalachian League, South Atlantic League, Florida State League, Southern League, International League, and the major leagues, highlighted by All-Star selections, a Southern League MVP award, and consistent stolen-base production. While the full count of team-level wins is not fully verified, his individual accolades mark him as a notable prospect-turned-regular in the Royals organization.
Minor League Highlights
Waters earned All-Star honors with Rome in 2018 and with Mississippi in 2019, and was named the Southern League Most Valuable Player in 2019 after combining for seven home runs and 52 runs batted in between Double-A and Triple-A. He also represented the United States at the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament.
Major League Highlights
In his first major league season with the Royals, Waters appeared in 32 games and batted .240/.324/.479 with five home runs and 18 runs batted in during the 2022 campaign. He followed that with 98 games in 2023, hitting .229 with eight home runs, 32 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases, and appeared briefly in the majors in 2024 while spending most of the year at Triple-A Omaha.
Drew Waters Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Waters grew up in a baseball family in Woodstock, Georgia. His brother Zach Waters played college baseball at East Tennessee State and the University of Georgia before becoming the assistant coach of the varsity baseball team at Etowah High School.
Personal Life
Waters is an American professional athlete whose personal life has been kept largely private, with limited verified public details beyond his career and family connections to the sport.
2025 Season Performance
Waters was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season, continuing his role as outfield depth for the Royals. While playing for the Storm Chasers, he hit for the cycle for the first time in his professional career, a milestone that highlighted his all-around offensive skill set. The performance was strong enough to earn him International League Player of the Week honors for March 31 through April 6.
His play in 2025 has combined gap power, speed, and on-base ability, reinforcing the profile that made him a top prospect. If he continues to produce at Omaha, Waters is positioned to be a midseason call-up option for Kansas City.