Could rising player help Royals solve OF woes? ‘He’s embracing his opportunity’
Kansas City Royals outfielder Drew Waters says it’s only right to follow tradition now.
Two years ago, when he last hit a home run for KC, he jokingly chest-bumped manager Matt Quatraro in the dugout.
“So now, it’s like a thing,” a smiling Waters said following the Royals’ 4-3 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday night. “I’ll chest-bump him, go down the line and all the guys are fired up.”
There was plenty of reason for Waters to be excited during this effort.
The 26-year-old, who was recalled to the majors on April 9, had a home run and triple while leading the Royals offense to a second straight win.
“He’s embracing his opportunity,” Quatraro said Tuesday night. “He’s maturing in his ability to handle ups and downs, I think, and he’s confident right now.”
Part of the reason for that? Consistent playing time.
Waters started his sixth straight game for the Royals on Tuesday, with the team committing to him more following MJ Melendez’s recent demotion to Triple-A Omaha.
“I would say I’m a lot more comfortable,” Waters said after the game. “I would say, just from the time I got here to now, I’m more comfortable than I have been in the past. The game of baseball is hard enough as is, and then you’ve got the mental side of it that can be challenging at times. You start wondering if you belong, if you can play at this level.”
With each contest, Waters seems to be gaining more confidence that he deserves to be here.
Case in point was his sixth-inning home run against Rockies starter Ryan Feltner. Waters smashed a hanging changeup after struggling with the pitch all season; coming into Tuesday, he’d seen 29 changeups according to Statcast, resulting in 12 swings-and-misses and only two hits (a pair of singles).
“It’s no hidden secret,” Waters said. “I’ve been getting a lot of changeups since I’ve gotten recalled.”
Waters worked to improve, though. He said he’s spent extra time in the hitting cage lately, specifically getting steady doses of fastballs and then changeups from the Royals’ pitching machine.
“To be able to get to one (changeup) — and not only get to it, but hit it out — it was definitely a special feeling,” Waters said.
The Royals certainly could benefit from Waters emerging offensively, given the particular struggles of their outfielders.
Per FanGraphs, the Royals outfielders entered Tuesday with a combined on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .504 — the worst mark in MLB.
Waters’ work Tuesday — including his first MLB home run in 608 days — upped his own OPS to .769.
“He’s probably getting into a little bit of a rhythm,” Quatraro said. “And we know he’s got that ability. Now he’s gonna have to be consistent in his at-bats.”
Waters admitted that the consistent playing time has allowed him to play more freely.
Now, he hopes to maintain the type of production he’s beginning to show.
“Once you get that confidence and you just treat it like any other game, you start to see your ability really come out,” Waters said. “And I think that’s why now I get so fired up. Because I’m obviously hard on myself, but I also want to celebrate the successes.”
