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 and has since developed into a versatile outfielder known for his speed and athletic profile. Through the 2025 season, he has compiled a .234 career batting average along with 14 home runs, 65 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases across his major league appearances.
Early Life and Background
Drew Waters was born on December 30, 1998, in the United States. He grew up in Woodstock, Georgia, where he attended Etowah High School and became one of the most highly regarded amateur baseball players in the state. As a senior at Etowah, Waters batted .516 with 15 home runs and 40 runs batted in, and his production helped lead the school to a Class 7A state championship title.
Following his senior season, Waters was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and the Metro Atlanta High School Player of the Year. His performance at the high school level established him as a top draft prospect and drew attention from professional scouts. He originally committed to play college baseball at the University of Georgia for the Georgia Bulldogs, but his professional plans shifted before he ever suited up in college.
Waters comes from a baseball family. His brother Zach Waters played college baseball for East Tennessee State and the University of Georgia. Zach later returned to Etowah High School, where he serves as the Assistant Coach of the varsity baseball team, continuing the family’s connection to the program that produced Drew’s early success.
Path to Professional Baseball
Waters’ path to professional baseball accelerated in 2017 when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft, with the 41st overall pick. Rather than enroll at the University of Georgia, he signed with the Braves for a $1.5 million signing bonus, forgoing his college commitment and launching his professional career. The signing bonus reflected his status as one of the top high school position players in his draft class.
After signing, Waters made his professional debut with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves. He batted .347 with a .448 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage, adding two home runs, ten runs batted in, and seven walks in a short stint. His strong start earned him a promotion to the Danville Braves of the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League, where he finished his first professional season. In 36 games with Danville, he slashed .255/.331/.383 with two home runs and 14 runs batted in, giving the Braves a clear look at his offensive potential.
Drew Waters Career
Early Career (2017-2019)
Waters’ first full professional season came in 2018, when he began the year with the Rome Braves of the Single-A South Atlantic League. He earned All-Star honors with Rome 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, demonstrating a balanced blend of power and speed.
In 2019, Waters opened the season with the Mississippi Braves of the Double-A Southern League and was again named an All-Star. His play earned him a promotion in August to the Gwinnett Stripers of the Triple-A International League. Over 134 games between Mississippi and Gwinnett, Waters batted .309/.360/.459 with seven home runs, 52 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases. He was named the Southern League Most Valuable Player, and after the season, he was selected to represent the United States national baseball team in the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament.
Atlanta Braves Era (2020-2022)
Waters did not appear in a minor league game in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was added to Atlanta’s 60-man player pool and trained with other players in the pool in Gwinnett during the summer. For the 2021 season, he was assigned to Gwinnett, by then a member of the Triple-A East. In June, Waters was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field, an invitation reserved for the sport’s most promising young prospects. Over 103 games with Gwinnett, Waters slashed .240/.329/.381 with 11 home runs, 37 runs batted in, and 28 stolen bases. On November 18, 2021, the Braves added Waters to the 40-man roster, signaling that he was nearing major league readiness.
Waters began the 2022 season on the injured list for Gwinnett. He was activated in early May and, over 49 games with the Stripers, he batted .246 with five home runs and 16 runs batted in. His major league breakthrough came on July 11, 2022, when the Braves traded Waters, CJ Alexander, and Andrew Hoffmann to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for the 35th overall pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft, a competitive balance pick that Atlanta used on JR Ritchie.
Kansas City Royals Era (2022-Present)
Following the trade, the Royals optioned Waters to the Omaha Storm Chasers. Over 31 games with Omaha, he hit .295 with seven home runs, 17 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases, forcing the Royals’ hand at the major league level. On August 22, 2022, the Royals promoted Waters to the major leagues, where he collected his first career hit on August 24, a single off Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. On September 5, Waters 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, appearing with the Royals for two short stretches, including three games in mid-June and four games in July. In 19 major league plate appearances during 2024, he batted .188 with one double and two walks, while with Omaha he hit .290 with 13 home runs and seven stolen bases in 109 games.
2025 Season Performance
Waters was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season. While playing for the Storm Chasers, 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. He made 71 total appearances for the Royals during the 2025 regular season, batting .243/.288/.316 with one home run, 14 runs batted in, and five stolen bases.
On March 25, 2026, the Royals designated Waters for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Omaha on March 29, 2026, returning to the Storm Chasers as he continued his development at the highest level of the minor leagues.
Drew Waters Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Drew Waters grew up in a household with a strong baseball tradition, most notably through his brother Zach Waters, who played college baseball for East Tennessee State and the University of Georgia. Zach has carried the family’s ties to the sport into the coaching ranks, currently serving as the Assistant Coach of the varsity baseball team at Etowah High School, the same program where Drew built his reputation as a teenager.
Drew Waters Career Wins and Performances
Drew Waters’ career wins and performances span multiple levels of professional baseball, beginning in the rookie leagues and reaching the major leagues. Across the minor leagues, he earned All-Star honors with the Rome Braves in 2018 and with the Mississippi Braves in 2019, and he was named the Southern League Most Valuable Player in 2019. He also represented the United States in the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament. At the major league level, his most notable performances include his first career hit on August 24, 2022, and his first career home run on September 5, 2022. In 2025, he hit for the cycle for the first time in his professional career while playing for the Omaha Storm Chasers and was named International League Player of the Week for the period covering March 31 through April 6.