Drury was a big riser on prospect lists this offseason after a year that saw him be named the Appalachian League co-player of the year. My expectations for Drury were a little more tempered than others, and I can definitively point at one stat to tell you why: Drury walked just six times in 278 plate appearances. That is a 2.2% walk rate. To put that in perspective, Yuniesky Betancourt had a 2.7% walk rate, Vladimir Guerrero was at 2.9%, and Alex Gonzalez, who we all loved and adored last season, was at 3.7%. Think about that: this guy walked 40% less than Alex Gonzalez. He might be an awesome pure hitter, and at just age 19, there is a huge chance he can improve. But I'm not puting him in my top ten until he walks at least 5% of the time, no matter how high his OPS may be.Also, see this post:
Drury is officially on the helium bubble! After his outstanding 2011 performance, he received a lot of praise and hype from coaches, scouts, evaluators and analysts. Some already consider him the apparent heir to the Braves’ third base gig after future Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, retires. Eventually, Drury might have a special bat, he right now, he will not be able to replicate Chipper Jones’ production. He’s not going to compete for a batting title every year with a 2.2% walk rate, but his bat will not be as dreadful as his 2010 debut with the GCL Braves either. Both seasons’ stats are unsustainable with a .252 BABIP in 2010 and .378 BABIP in 2011.
This upcoming year, we want to see Drury produce in Low-A/Hi-A. Can he still square up more advanced fastballs and breaking balls? It’s obvious that he can turn on fastballs at the rookie level, but will his batting eye and pitch recognition keep up at the higher levels? Drury needs to take a step forward on defense as well. As of right now, we’re not ready to anoint Drury as the Braves’ future third baseman after Chipper hangs it up. For one, he won’t be ready for another 2-3 years. With more walks and more patience, Drury should hit for more power and that will only help his stock soar even higher!G. Mark Sumpter
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