Hurston Waldrep

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Hurston Wayne Waldrep

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Hurston waldrep was the 24th overall pick of the 2023 amateur draft, by the Atlanta Braves, out of the University of Florida. He had just played in the finals of the 2023 College World Series a few weeks earlier after going 10-3, 4.16 with 156 strikeouts in his only season as a Gator; before that, he had attended the University of Southern Mississippi for two years. His strikeout total was the second highest in school history, trailing just Alex Faedo. In the summer of 2022, he played for the USA College National Team that finished third in the 2022 Haarlem Baseball Week (losing to Nelmerson Angela of Curacao; he allowed 3 runs in 2 1/3 IP), where he was a teammate of first overall pick and CWS rival Paul Skenes. When he was drafted, he was considered to be close to a finished product, and he did not disappoint by breezing through the minors.

After signing with Atlanta, he played for four different teams at four different levels in 2023, from Class A to AAA, although this totaled just 8 games and 29 1/3 innings. He still racked up 41 strikeouts against 16 walks and 19 hits, and his ERA was 1.53. In 2024, he started off in AA with the Mississippi Braves of the Southern League and went 3-4, 2.92 in 9 starts, including a pair of complete games. He was promoted to the AAA Gwinnett Stripers on June 1st but made just one start there before getting his next promotion which resulted in his starting the Braves' game of June 9th against the Washington Nationals in the Nation's Capital. Things did not go great, as he gave up 7 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in 3 2/3 innings while striking out just one. He was charged with an 8-5 loss. He made just one other start for the Braves, on June 16th against the Tampa Bay Rays and was once again hit hard, giving up 6 runs in 3 1/3 innings. With his record at 0-1, 16.71, he obviously needed more seasoning, so he finished the season in the minors where he was 5-7, 3.47 in 19 starts spread among four teams.

He started the 2025 season in AAA with the Gwinnett Braves, going 7-8, 4.42 in 19 starts over the first four months. On August 2nd, the Braves were slated to play the MLB Speedway Classic against the Cincinnati Reds in Bristol, TN in front of a record crowd of over 91,000 fans, but the game was first delayed and then suspended after just two outs in the bottom of the 1st. By then the Braves had already used two pitchers, AJ Smith-Shawver who had warmed up but then been shut down following the initial long rain delay, and reliever Austin Cox, who had recorded two outs but given up a run when the skies broke again. Waldrep, who had not even made the trip to Bristol and was with Gwinnett expecting to make a start in Columbus, OH, got a call shortly after midnight to tell him that a driver would pick him up at 5 AM in order to drive him for five hours to northern Tennessee so he could pitch when the game resumed that afternoon. It turned out to be a great day for him as he lasted 5 2/3 innings on the mound and gave up just 1 run on 3 hits to earn his first major league victory by a 4-2 score. As he explained after the game: "I didn't really have time to sit here and think about how it all happened, but you know, nonetheless, I'm grateful for it. I'm happy to be here. It's just been an unbelievable day." He continued to excel in his next two outings, both starts in which he pitched six innings, allowed 0 or 1 run, and was credited with the win.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Mark Bowman: "Braves take Florida RHP Waldrep with 24th pick", mlb.com, July 10, 2023. [1]
  • Mark Bowman: "White (2 HRs), Waldrep put Braves in victory lane at Speedway Classic", mlb.com, August 3, 2025. [2]
  • Mark Bowman: "Waldrep cruising along after Speedway stint spurs super August run (0.73 ERA)", mlb.com, August 21, 2025. [3]

Related Sites[edit]

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