The Atlanta Braves acquired the 35th overall pick from the Royals in exchange for top prospect Drew Waters, RHP Andrew Hoffmann, and INF C.J. Alexander.
The Braves used the 35th pick on high school pitcher J.R. Ritchie, the 19 year old righty has 4 offerings that he can throw for strikes. He features a plus fastball which sits in the mid-90’s topping out at 97 mph. He has two breaking balls, one being a sharp above average slider and the other being a curveball that he has good feel for. He also throws a changeup with similar velocity to his slider, his ability to repeat his delivery projects him to easily being able to start games in the future.
The main piece in return for the Royals was prospect Drew Waters. The 23 year old switch hitting outfielder is a former second round pick. With above average raw power, Waters is a power over hit tool bat. He grades plus in both the arm and run tool. Waters has a free swinging approach that he will need to adjust if he wants to be successful at the next level. In 49 games at AAA this year Waters has walked just 7.6% of the time while striking out at a 27.1% clip, he only posted an 85 wRC+. Even if Waters can’t fix his plate discipline, he projects as a solid defensive center fielder who can do damage on a mistake in the zone.
The Royals also acquired RHP Andrew Hoffmann, a 12th round pick in the 2021 draft. He has an average fastball which sits in the low 90’s topping out at 95 mph. He occasionally throws an average changeup, Hoffmann’s best pitch is a plus slider that sits in the low 80’s and has a healthy amount of horizontal movement. In 80 innings pitched at the A+ level this year he has a 2.36 ERA and a 3.64 xFIP. He has also posted a 10.13 K/9 and a miniscule 2.36 BB/9. With Hoffmann’s 6′ 5″ frame and low BB/9 totals it wouldn’t be surprising if the 12th rounder ends up as a starter.
The last piece in return for the Royals was INF C.J. Alexander. Alexander is another power over hit bat, the one plus tool he has is his raw power. He raked in the lower levels of the minors, posting a 212 wRC+ in rookie ball and a 142 wRC+ in high A ball both during the 2018 season. He has struggled since progressing to AA, just like Waters he will need to improve his plate discipline to become successful at the next level, he has only a 4.8% BB rate this season in 68 games at AA. His swing is made for hitting the low ball, he grades below average defensively and will probably be limited to a corner outfield spot if he reaches the majors.
The Royals added 3 prospects for their competitive balance pick. A plus defensive center fielder who has both plus speed and power, and can become a more complete hitter if he becomes more patient at the plate. A RHP that has put up fantastic numbers in his short career, and an infielder with some raw power that he has already started to tap into. While the Braves used the pick on a high upside highschool arm that could easily become a regular starter for them. Only time will tell who benefited most from this deal.