Drew Waters Named International League Player of the Week

PAPILLION, NEB. – Minor League Baseball has announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Omaha Storm Chasers outfielder Drew Waters was named the International League Player of the Week for his performance the week of September 17 through September 22. This marks Waters’ second time this season earning the Player of the Week honors, previously recognized for the week of July 8 through 14.

The Woodstock, Georgia native led the league with .565 average, 1.067 slugging percentage and 1.687 OPS, going 13-for-23 at the plate during Omaha’s series split against the Louisville Bats. Waters was also tied for first in the league in hits (13), connecting for four doubles and two home runs, while driving in six runs and drawing two walks as well. He not only recorded at least one hit in the five six games he played in the series, but with three hits in each of his last four games, he became just the second Minor League player in 2024 to record 3+ hits in four straight games.

Across 109 Triple-A games this season, Waters ended the year slashing a .290/.379/.494 (114-for-393) with the Storm Chasers, with 37 extra-base hits (13 home runs) and 61 runs batted in. Waters ranked third in the International League with 33 doubles, while tied for fifth in the league with 84 runs scored. Among IL qualifiers, he ranked seventh in OPS (.873) and ninth in slugging percentage (.494).

Originally drafted 41st overall by the Atlanta Braves out of Etowah High School (Ga.) in 2017, Waters was traded to the Royals in July 2022 with INF CJ Alexander and RHP Andrew Hoffmann in exchange for a Competitive Balance pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft, the 35th overall pick that year. Since he joined the Royals organization, Waters has appeared in 153 games with Omaha, hitting .295 over parts over three seasons, with a .901 OPS.

This award marks the fifth time this year a Storm Chasers player has won a weekly award, the fourth Omaha player to be recognized as the IL’s Player or Pitcher of the Week. Waters is the first Storm Chaser to be recognized with two league awards, with Logan Porter, Devin Mann and Walter Pennington each earning a weekly recognition, and Daniel Lynch IV and Noah Cameron honored as Pitcher of the Month.

Right-handed starting pitcher David Buchanan of the Louisville Bats (Triple-A, Cincinnati Reds) was the International League’s Pitcher of the Week, as he threw 8.0. scoreless innings of relief with 1 hit allowed in Sunday’s regular season finale against Omaha.