Drew Avans: One Helluva Player

Author:  Published Date: November 27, 2022 Comments: Leave a Comment on Drew Avans: One Helluva Player 3 1741

In today’s age of modern-day analytics, terms like “old-school” and “new-school” are commonly used to describe the changes that have overtaken the game. Bunting has largely become a thing of the past, stealing bases has been all but metrically eliminated and scoring runs has become about 3 outcomes, the homerun, the strikeout, and the base on balls. 

But, even in the face of all the data-driven offense, there are still players that play the game in its purest form and know how to do what are called the “little” things. 

Drew Avans, an outfield prospect in the Dodgers organization, defines that type of player with a game that might remind you of a time of yesteryear, a time when players beat a defense in every which way possible.

And when you watch him play you might think he’s a throwback, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But, what he ultimately is, simply put, is One Helluva Player.

Alabaster

Photo by Starling Photography

Avans didn’t grow up “old school” nor did he learn the “new school. Instead, he grew up learning from the “right school” in Alabaster, Alabama from Hall of Famer Pat Hamrick. Hamrick was recently placed into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame after a career where he produced 90 College baseball players, and 6 professionals, won 533 games, and a State Title. 

Avans grew up wanting to impress Coach Hamrick and still takes the lessons he learned from him everywhere he goes. 

Coach Hamrick was not loud, but he was very stern in what he wanted to get done. As much as he was trying to help you get to the next level, he tried even harder to make you a better man, and he definitely succeeded. 

Photo by Starling Photography

Avans was the team captain of his High School teams at Thompson and All-Stated twice as well as earning All-County and All-Metro honors. He was also a member of the National Honors Society and was the model of what the term “student-athlete” actually means.

But, those are all accomplishments that you might expect from someone that has made it to AAA and has been as successful as Avans has been. 

What you might not know is that he was equally as good on the mound, and was recruited as a 2-way player.

Southeastern Louisiana

Avans was recruited to both pitch and play a position a Southeastern Louisiana University, a school that made him feel right at home. As a Freshman, he posted a 3.46 ERA and walked just 3 batters while striking out 15. He followed that up as a Sophomore by posting a 2.00 ERA out of the bullpen for SLU, then pitched 17 innings as a Junior. 

That’s when he decided to become a full-time position player a decision that has overwhelmingly proved to have paid off.

Avans hit .330 as a Senior, had an on-base % of .462, hit 10 home runs, knocked in 44 RBIs, and scored 52 runs. He beat college defenses in every which way possible and played high-caliber defense from Centerfield.

Avans was a great player at Southeastern Louisiana University, and the humility and humble nature of which he looks back on his time there is very impressive.

“I want to say they were the first school to show interest and they were definitely the first ones to offer, and it didn’t take long to make my decision. I went on a visit, and within a week and a half I had committed.”

Avans Continued…

“It was a similar hometown feel in Hammond that I had in Alabaster so it was everything I could have wished for. It had a family feel to it and Coach Riser who was the interim coach at the time was very similar to Coach Hamrick in intensity so it didn’t take long to make that decision”

Intangibles

Avans was not only known for being very versatile, extremely talented, and hard-working he was also very clutch.

Here’s what his coach at SLU had to say to the Crescent City Sports news organization about the type of player and person Avans was.

“He was always the guy who you wanted up in the big moment,” Southeastern head coach Matt Riser said. “If you’ve got a guy on third base when Drew’s up, you know he’s going to get the job done.”

Here’s what a fellow senior outfielder at SLU told the Crescent City Sports Publication.

Drew wants to win at everything he does,” said fellow senior outfielder Trenon Trosclair. “I’ve known him for two years, and I lived with him last year. He doesn’t want to lose an argument; he doesn’t want to lose at anything.

Just Needs a Chance

At 5’10 Avans knew his measurables probably weren’t going to get him drafted in the early rounds, but all he wanted was a chance, something he got when the Dodgers drafted him in the 33rd Round of the 2018 draft.

Avans has always had a lot to prove and is very thankful for the opportunities the Dodgers have given him. 

After my last season at SLU ended I wasn’t sure if I was going to get drafted or not, so when I did get drafted it was like a sigh of relief because I knew I was going to at least get an opportunity to do this for a living. I was told that I had to hit the ground running and that was my goal, so any hitting coach I could find I talked their ear off.

Avans is a player that you need to watch every day to truly appreciate what he brings to a team. Call him a throwback, “old school” or whatever you want to call him, what he is a just a Helluva player.

His game is not built of flash, but it’s one that every team needs. He is the master at getting on, getting over, and getting in. The way he sees it is that there are a bunch of different ways to touch home plate, so the more ways you know how, the better player you’ll be. Here’s how he said he approaches the game.

“There are so many different ways to score runs other than a home run. I mean, yeah, technically a home run is the most efficient way because 1 swing is 1 run. But a solo home run only wins the game in the bottom of the 9th inning and you have 9 innings to score as many runs as you can. And, the first way to score is to get on 1st base so that’s where I start.”

On how he gets on base here’s what Avans said.

” I look around at the defense and if the bunt is there then Thank You, I’ll take that. All through Spring Training, the first thing I do every day is go to the machine and bunt because bunting is something that is simple and should be simple if you work at it.”

Feature Cut

Avans had a 50-game on-base streak this past season with AAA OKC which is the longest on-base streak in the past 3 years in the PCL. He also hit .282, and was top 10 in the PCL in both On-base percentage at .379 and runs scored with 94. He also stole 40 bases which was the 4th most of any player in the PCL in 2022, so he knows how to produce runs in every which way possible.

He also began his year with a very special moment when he hit a grand slam in Spring Training, something of which acted as a precursor to the great year he ended up having. 

On Base Streak

As mentioned earlier, Avans had a 50-game on-base streak in 2022 which is the longest in the PCL in the last 3 years. That is a great stat in and of itself, but when you consider the different ways he continued the streak it becomes even more impressive. In Early August he extended the streak with bunt-base hits on consecutive nights. Check them both out in the video below and notice that one was a push bunt and the other was a drag bunt. This guy just knows how to play the game.

Short To It

Here is a clip that shows several other games and the hits that extended his streak. What you’ll notice is how deep he lets the ball get, how short his swing is to the ball and how well of a job he does going with the pitch.

Get On-Get Over-Get In

Avans is the classic “get-on, get-over, then get-in” type of player as evidenced by his on-base streak and the number of runs he scored. He stole 40 bases in 2022 and has also been known to have the ability to steal home. 

Grand Slam

Although the long ball certainly is not what defines his game, Avans has some pop and can hit some home runs. He hit 10 home runs his Senior year of College, then hit 10 in his first 2 years in the Dodgers organization. He also provided one of the coolest moments from last Spring Training when he hit a grand slam in one of his first few at-bats on the “big” field. 

Defense

It takes great instincts and physical speed to steal 40 bases at the AAA level and it takes excellent arm talent to pitch at the Division I level. It also takes a great baseball IQ to be the kind of complete player that Avans is, so when you combine that, it’s easy to understand why he is such a good defensive Center Fielder.  

Conclusion

Avans was not placed on the Dodger’s 40-man roster and, thus, is eligible for next month’s Rule  5 Draft. I’m of the opinion that he will be taken and will become an everyday outfielder at the MLB level and will be very good. He has the potential to be a guy at the top of the lineup that can be top 20 in on-base % and runs scored and be very good in center field.

He plays with fire and has a lot of intensity and every club can use that type of player in their dugout on a nightly basis. 

Although I cover the Dodgers, my main focus is on the prospects, and my main wish for each one of them is to make the Major Leagues as fast as they can, regardless of the club. From that perspective, I hope Avans gets picked up in the Rule 5 Draft, gets put on a 26-man roster, and gets to play Center Field every day next year in the Big Leagues.

Let me assure you, just like his entire career, all he needs is a chance, and he’ll do the rest. 

If not, then he gets to come back to the organization that has given him the opportunity to chase his dreams, so he is in a win/win situation, whatever happens next month. 

In closing, I would like to say that I have seen Avans play a bunch in the last 2 years, and there are few players that I have come to admire, appreciate and respect more than him. He is the example that every kid needs to model themselves after in terms of how the game is supposed to be played from the hustle aspects all the way through his play on the field.

So, it was a real pleasure to get to spend some time talking baseball with this young man and getting to know him a little better, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him.

Author: casey.porter

I have been a teacher and coach at Guthrie Public Schools for almost 30 years. I taught Special Education for the first 18 years of my teaching career and have taught US History and AP US for the last 10. I have been a coach at the High School level for 30 years and have been a Head Coach in multiple sports, most recently being Baseball at Guthrie High School. I love baseball and I love the Dodgers, and being located in Oklahoma, I have the chance to go to several Drillers and OKC games each year and love covering the Minor League teams.
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