Luke Waddell Stats & Scouting Report

AB	365
AVG	.236
OBP	.312
SLG	.326
HR	2

Full name Luke Thomas Waddell
Born 07/13/1998 in Loveland, OH
Profile Ht.: 5'7" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Georgia Tech
Drafted in the 5th round (157th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2021 (signed for $247,500).

View Draft Report

Waddell has been draft-eligible for each of the past three seasons, and is now one of the older players in the 2021 draft class. Given the amount of time scouts have seen Waddell with the Yellow Jackets they have a pretty good idea of the player he is: someone who does a lot of things on the field well, with solid defensive ability all over the infield and impressive bat-to-ball skills, but with a filled-out frame that lacks projection and limited tools. Waddell worked on hitting for more impact over this past offseason, and that did translate into a career-high eight home runs, but he still doesn’t project as a power hitter and some scouts don’t like the length that he added to his swing with his new approach. Even with that shifted offensive mindset, Waddell continued to be extremely difficult to strikeout, with a 5.7% strikeout rate that rates near the top of the country. That zone control and bat-to-ball ability gives him a reasonable offensive floor and his ultimate upside is a top-of-the-order table-setting type who has good running ability, but most scouts view him as a super-utility type more than an everyday regular. There are sure to be teams that penalize Waddell aggressively given his age, but in a draft class with plenty of volatility and uncertainty, Waddell is a well-known commodity with plenty of track record, including a 2019 summer with the Collegiate National Team where Waddell was third on the team in hitting.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A long-time performer with Georgia Tech, Waddell spent four years with the program and was draft eligible in three straight years beginning in 2019 before signing with the Braves as a fifth-rounder in 2021 for $250,000. Waddell stood out for his contact ability and zone control skills as an amateur, and after two pro seasons, those remain his calling cards.

Scouting Report: Waddell has the best pure bat-to-ball ability in Atlanta's system, with a miniscule 13.5% miss rate. He connects with virtually everything in the zone, missing only 6% of the time on strikes. On top of his excellent hand-eye, Waddell makes good swing decisions and walked more than he struck out for the first time in his pro career in 2022 after making a habit of it at Georgia Tech. What holds the 5-foot-9 middle infielder back is his lack of power. Waddell is mostly a singles hitter who lacks raw power--his 90th percentile exit velocity was just 99 mph--and doesn't project to add much in the future. He's a reliable defender at multiple infield positions, with good game awareness and baseball IQ but isn't the sort of player who will threaten to win Gold Gloves.

The Future: Waddell's season ended in late May thanks to injury, but he'll look to get more upper-level time in the minors in 2023 and could be an emergency infielder who will grind out at-bats at the plate if necessary.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 30. Speed: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.

Draft Prospects

Waddell has been draft-eligible for each of the past three seasons, and is now one of the older players in the 2021 draft class. Given the amount of time scouts have seen Waddell with the Yellow Jackets they have a pretty good idea of the player he is: someone who does a lot of things on the field well, with solid defensive ability all over the infield and impressive bat-to-ball skills, but with a filled-out frame that lacks projection and limited tools. Waddell worked on hitting for more impact over this past offseason, and that did translate into a career-high eight home runs, but he still doesn’t project as a power hitter and some scouts don’t like the length that he added to his swing with his new approach. Even with that shifted offensive mindset, Waddell continued to be extremely difficult to strikeout, with a 5.7% strikeout rate that rates near the top of the country. That zone control and bat-to-ball ability gives him a reasonable offensive floor and his ultimate upside is a top-of-the-order table-setting type who has good running ability, but most scouts view him as a super-utility type more than an everyday regular. There are sure to be teams that penalize Waddell aggressively given his age, but in a draft class with plenty of volatility and uncertainty, Waddell is a well-known commodity with plenty of track record, including a 2019 summer with the Collegiate National Team where Waddell was third on the team in hitting.
Waddell does a lot of things on the field well, bringing defensive versatility, above-average running ability and on-base skills to the table. A third baseman last summer for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, Waddell was third on the team in hitting, with a .300/.419/.417 line over 16 games. Coaches were impressed with his defensive ability. Waddell reads the ball well off the bat, has reliable hands and good body control. While he plays shortstop for Georgia Tech, he probably doesn’t have the defensive ability at the position to push off better defenders and is more likely a super-utility type player who can fill in at shortstop in a pinch if necessary. Waddell was also Team USA’s emergency catcher. Offensively, Waddell has solid bat-to-ball skills and impressive zone recognition, but he lacks much power. Instead he takes professional at-bats and swings at the right pitches, doing his damage by collecting walks and slapping singles around the field. In his Georgia Tech career, Waddell has walked 13 percent of the time compared to striking out just nine percent. With a maxed out, 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame, Waddell doesn’t offer a ton of projection or impact potential, but scouts and coaches alike praise his work ethic, determination and baseball IQ.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A long-time performer with Georgia Tech, Waddell spent four years with the program and was draft eligible in three straight years beginning in 2019 before signing with the Braves as a fifth-rounder in 2021 for $250,000. Waddell stood out for his contact ability and zone control skills as an amateur, and after two pro seasons, those remain his calling cards.

Scouting Report: Waddell has the best pure bat-to-ball ability in Atlanta's system, with a miniscule 13.5% miss rate. He connects with virtually everything in the zone, missing only 6% of the time on strikes. On top of his excellent hand-eye, Waddell makes good swing decisions and walked more than he struck out for the first time in his pro career in 2022 after making a habit of it at Georgia Tech. What holds the 5-foot-9 middle infielder back is his lack of power. Waddell is mostly a singles hitter who lacks raw power--his 90th percentile exit velocity was just 99 mph--and doesn't project to add much in the future. He's a reliable defender at multiple infield positions, with good game awareness and baseball IQ but isn't the sort of player who will threaten to win Gold Gloves.

The Future: Waddell's season ended in late May thanks to injury, but he'll look to get more upper-level time in the minors in 2023 and could be an emergency infielder who will grind out at-bats at the plate if necessary.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 30. Speed: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A long-time performer with Georgia Tech, Waddell spent four years with the program and was draft eligible in three straight years beginning in 2019 before signing with the Braves as a fifth-rounder in 2021 for $250,000. Waddell stood out for his contact ability and zone control skills as an amateur, and after two pro seasons, those remain his calling cards.

Scouting Report: Waddell has the best pure bat-to-ball ability in Atlanta's system, with a miniscule 13.5% miss rate. He connects with virtually everything in the zone, missing only 6% of the time on strikes. On top of his excellent hand-eye, Waddell makes good swing decisions and walked more than he struck out for the first time in his pro career in 2022 after making a habit of it at Georgia Tech. What holds the 5-foot-9 middle infielder back is his lack of power. Waddell is mostly a singles hitter who lacks raw power--his 90th percentile exit velocity was just 99 mph--and doesn't project to add much in the future. He's a reliable defender at multiple infield positions, with good game awareness and baseball IQ but isn't the sort of player who will threaten to win Gold Gloves.

The Future: Waddell's season ended in late May thanks to injury, but he'll look to get more upper-level time in the minors in 2023 and could be an emergency infielder who will grind out at-bats at the plate if necessary.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 30. Speed: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
BA Grade: 40/High

Track Record: A four-year starter at Georgia Tech, Waddell was the first Yellow Jacket to make the U.S Collegiate National Team since Derek Dietrich in 2008. Draft-eligible in three consecutive years, Waddell was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 32nd round of the 2019 draft but returned to school for his junior season in 2020. After a hot start that spring, Waddell saw his season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. He went undrafted in the five-round 2020 draft, and returned to Georgia Tech for his fourth season. Waddell started 56 games at shortstop for the Yellow Jackets and showed increased power, hitting .309/.402/.474 with eight home runs. Selected in the fifth round by Atlanta in 2021, Waddell signed for an under-slot bonus of $247,500. He debuted with High-A Rome, before seeing a brief eight-game stint with Double-A Mississippi.

Scouting Report: A classic utility profile, Waddell does a lot of things well but lacks loud physical tools. He&#39s undersized with a physically mature frame, with boxy shoulders and little to no projection. Despite a lack of physical gifts Waddell is a heady player with innate bat-to-ball skills and a keen eye at the plate. He spits on chase pitches, adjusts to pitch heights and locations and shows the ability to fight off strikes on the edges of the zone with relative ease. He added length and loft to his swing entering his fourth and final season at Georgia Tech and it translated to more game power as he doubled his previous collegiate home run total during the 2021 season. He continued to show power in his professional debut, hitting six home runs with Rome. He&#39s still at his best when he&#39s looking to make contact and use the whole field, but the improved impact is a welcome development. Defensively, Waddell has the actions and internal clock to handle several spots on the infield. He&#39s likely limited by his range at shortstop but has a good first step and has enough arm to make all the necessary throws on the left side of the infield. Waddell is an average runner now but that is likely to regress as he ages.

The Future: Waddell fits the mold of a utility infielder with the ability to give you a good at-bat off the bench and fill in at a variety of positions on the dirt. He fits best at second base in a full-time role, where his infield actions will prove valuable but his limited range won&#39t be as exposed as it is at shortstop. The development of some in-game power is welcomed, as Waddell has top-of-the-scale contact rate and rarely strikes out. Whether he hits for enough impact against upper-level pitching is the make-or-break question for Waddell.