Smokin' Drew joins Tennessee

After just two months in Class A Advanced, Stephen Drew is one step closer to the Major Leagues. The 2004 first-round pick jumped to Double-A on Monday.

Drew will join the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League in time for Tuesday night's contest against the Jacksonville Suns.

Considered to be the top positional talent when selected in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Drew has more than lived up to the hype in 2005. In just 38 games with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, the 22-year-old shortstop hit 10 homers and drove in 39 runs.

With a .389/.486/.738 line (batting average/on-base/slugging), Drew had marks that would have ranked first in the league had he had enough at-bats to qualify. The brother of Major League outfielder J.D. Drew had also exhibited tremendous plate discipline, drawing 26 walks vs. just 25 strikeouts.

Tennessee represents the third professional stop of the year for the three-time Florida State All-American, who began the season with Camden of the independent Atlantic League. The Arizona Diamondbacks later met a May 31 deadline to get Drew under contract, signing him to a five-year, $5.5 million deal and assigning him to Lancaster.

A native of Hahira, Ga., Drew had a 10-game hitting streak going at the time of his promotion Monday.