Luke
Waddell

6/8/15: 5-foot-8, 160-pound athletic body frame. From the infield he has quick, athletic footwork while playing through the baseball nicely, and has the ability to cover some ground moving well laterally. He fields the ball out front, showing softer hands. He does a good job of getting rid of the ball quickly when he needs to with his quick catch to release transfer. He throws using a clean, short arm action coming from a ¾ slot reaching a top velocity of 79 mph on his throws across the infield. Left-handed hitter with quiet, easy swing mechanics starts from a tall, open stance getting back to being squared up to even before he swings. He uses a fluid hands back to shoulder load and swings with a flat bat path, with the barrell staying through the zone giving him a better chance to make contact. He finishes with a two-handed follow through, reaching a top exit velocity of 80 mph. During a plate appearance in a game at-bat, he showed quick hands barrelling up and turning on an 88 mph fastball. He also showed the ability to use the opposite side of the field during a separate game at-bat when he doubled to left-center field.  He ran a 6.85 60-yard dash.

5-foot-9, 160-pound athlete. Speed is the name of the game for this versatile player. Can play multiple infield positions and shows good range because of his foot speed. Left-handed hitter that barrel stays through the zone and runs a 4.0 down-the-line.

2020 DRAFT:The 5-foot-9 Waddell isn't the flashiest prospect, but he can really play the game. A 32nd-round pick as a soph-eligible by the D'Backs in 2019, Waddell plays above his tools and continued to increase his draft value last summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. After slashing .322/.436/.416 with 45 walks vs. 22 strikeouts for the Yellow Jackets in the spring, Waddell hit .320/.404/.380 with seven walks against six strikeouts for the CNT. Waddell's ability to play the game of baseball really stands out. He's a throwback with a blue collar playing style, and one who could be the heart and soul of a ballclub. He is quick laterally and fast underway. Ran a 4-flat from home to first on a 1-3 groundout and a 3.55 on a bunt to third. Shows above-average range from both 2B and SS and an above-average arm. At the plate, the left handed hitter has a balanced approach and marginal bat speed for doubles power. He also has very good hand/eye and the ability to extend at-bats. He consistently puts the bat on the ball and reaches base — he continued to do so in the shortened 2020 season, hitting .300/.419/.417 with seven walks and seven strikeouts. He is also a constant threat to steal, combining first-step quickness with aggressiveness and instincts. He's a now guy with a high floor and is very close to the finished product. With a super utility profile at the ML level, Waddell is a potential top three-to-five-round prospect for the 2020 draft.

7/12/19:Another member of the CNT who isn’t the flashiest, but can play the game. A 32nd round pick as a sophomore-eligible by the Diamondbacks this June, Waddell plays above his tools and has continued to increase his draft value with another showing of high performance. After slashing .322/.436/.416 with 45 walks vs 22 strikeouts for the Yellow Jackets in the spring, he continues to produce for the CNT. During the Trials he went 4-for-14 with four walks and three stolen bases. Currently, through nine games against Cuba and Chinese Taipei, he is hitting .344 with a .432 OBP. Waddell’s ability to simply play the game of baseball won me over. He’s a throwback with a blue collar playing style and one who could be the heart and soul of a ballclub. He is quick laterally and fast underway. Ran a 4-flat from home to first on a 1-3 groundout and a 3.55 on a bunt to third against Coastal Plain Select. Showed above average range from both 2B and SS and an above average arm on a diving play from the 6-hole at short. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has a balanced approach and marginal bat speed for doubles power. He has very good hand/eye and the ability to extend at-bats. He consistently puts the bat on the ball and reaches base. Was also a constant threat to steal, combining speed with aggressiveness and instincts. He’s a now guy and very close to the finished product. With a super utility profile at the ML level, Waddell is a potential early-to-mid Day Two selection next June. (Seifert)

8/20/18:Athletic with a short, compact frame at five-foot-seven, 175 pounds. Saw time at both second and third base this summer. Stays within himself and plays the game with the tools he has. Good college baseball player. Puts the bat on the ball and uses his speed. Plus runner down the line; 4.02 on a SAC bunt, 4.12 on a fielder’s choice and a 4.19 on an infield single. Moves well laterally, showed plus range at second base with a near average arm. Upright set up in the box with a slightly open stance. Hands stay back. Good balance. Short to ball and long through the zone. Due to his size, there will likely never be an abundance of power to his game, but by continuing his current offensive approach to the game and developing as a multi-positional defender, Waddell could create late-round draft interest this June, or more likely, as a Day Two money saver senior in 2020. (Seifert)