Description
Luke Waddell is an infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization. Waddell was drafted in the 5th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft. In 2021, Waddell became the first of the Atlanta Braves 2021 draft class to reach the Double-A level. Waddell’s promotion came after having the best week in minor league baseball from August 24-29, batting .545 (12-for-22) with six home runs, 10 RBI, and eight runs scored in six games at Bowling Green. The Loveland, OH native had multi-hit games in five out of six and capped his week by going 3-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored in Rome’s 10-5 win over the Hot Rods.
Waddell was a three-sport athlete at Loveland High School in Loveland, Ohio. The versatile infielder was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time team captain in baseball under head coach Ken Reed. He was also a high school football star leading his football team to the state championship title, district title and ECC conference title in 2013. He currently holds the Loveland High School football records in career rushing yards, receiving yards, touchdowns and points scored. Waddell also holds the football school records with the most rushing yards and touchdowns in a single season. In baseball, Waddell was Rated as the No. 3 shortstop and the No. 11 overall prospect in the state of Ohio for the class of 2017 by Perfect Game. He holds the school record in career games played, hits and doubles. Waddell led his Loveland High School team to a 21-6 overall record and a 13-3 conference record in 2016 as a junior. Waddell chose to play for Georgia Tech University because of the coaching staff, the great academics and the chance to play in the ACC.
Waddell helped lead the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to its second-consecutive ACC Coastal Division Championship in 2021. The second-year captain hit .309 as one of the nation’s best table setters with 71 hits, 12 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, and 33 RBI en route to being named first-team all-ACC. The Loveland, Ohio native was one of the toughest hitters to strikeout out in the country, leading the ACC and ranking sixth nationally at 14.4 at-bats per strikeout. He finished his college career, hitting .354 over the last two months of the season. For his career, Waddell finished with the eighth-most assists (421) at Georgia Tech since 2002 and finished a career-.308 hitter in 172 games and 161 starts after hitting .300 in each of his final three years. He reached base .407 and stole 15 bases, and finished with a .953 fielding percentage.
After he hit .309/.402/.474 during his senior season at Georgia Tech, the Braves selected Waddell in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He began his career with High-A Rome, worked his way up to Double-A and hit a combined .260/.324/.450 with six homers and 15 RBIs over 29 games before finishing the year in the Arizona Fall League.
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Cosgrove played as a member of the Peoria Javelinas. The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. The Braves have had some really exciting players play in the AFL in recent years including most recently Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley.
Waddell got off to a slow start in Arizona and found himself batting just .059 (1-for-17) through the first five games. However, he caught fire in November, hitting .411 over 11 games and posted a .311/.394/.393 slash line over the final 18 games. A left-handed hitter, Waddell doesn’t hit for much power, but he makes plenty of contact and is difficult to strike out. The second baseman drew nine walks and struck out just eight times in Arizona after fanning 17 times in over 100 at-bats in the regular season. So far in the 2022 MILB Season, Waddell has been a tear hitting .290 with 11 extra base hits and 24 RBI’s in only 34 Games for the Mississippi Braves.
The featured gray Marucci Shin Guard was game worn by Luke Waddell as a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. For his college career, Waddell finished with the eighth-most assists (421) at Georgia Tech since 2002 and finished a career-.308 hitter in 172 games and 161 starts after hitting .300 in each of his final three years. He reached base .407 and stole 15 bases, and finished with a .953 fielding percentage.The talented hitter has signed the Shin Guard and added “Game Worn” in black. Unique item obtained directly from the Braves Prospect!
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