Hurston Waldrep named prospect to watch for 2024 season

MLB.com is high on the Florida righthander and his splitter to make a Major League impact in 2024

Two prominent members of the Atlanta Braves 2024 starting rotation, Max Fried and Charlie Morton, are both scheduled to hit free agency after the season. 

And so right now, all eyes are on two prominent pitching prospects that could play outsized roles going forward if their 2024 season works out. 

MLB.com, writing a piece about a prospect to watch at the major league level for each team in 2024, focused on RHP Hurston Waldrep when they got to Atlanta. 

Here's what they said about the righty out of the University of Florida: 

In 2024, all eyes will be on Waldrep, the heralded right-hander the Braves took out of the University of Florida with the 24th overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft. Waldrep ( guided the Gators to the brink of a College World Series title with the assistance of an impressive splitter, a swing-and-miss pitch developed in part by watching video of Hall of Famer John Smoltz. He posted a 1.53 ERA and produced a 33.3 percent strikeout rate while totaling 29 1/3 innings over four different Minor League levels last year. Waldrep is still getting acquainted with the professional scene, but it wouldn't be surprising if he arrives in Atlanta at some point during the 2024 season. 

Waldrep's introduction to professional baseball was perhaps better than anyone could have hoped. The righthander pitched at all four levels of Atlanta's minor league system after the draft, finishing in AAA Gwinnett with a 4.1 inning scoreless start against the Durham Bulls, the legendary Tampa Bay Rays affiliate who was the runner-up for the International League championship. 

On the season, Waldrep went 0-1 with a 1.53 ERA in eight starts. Pitching 29.1 innings, he struck out 41 batters and walked 16, allowing only one home run and five earned runs. His 41 strikeouts led all 2023 draftees, with fellow Braves 2023 draftee Lucas Braun (6th round out of Cal State - Northridge) coming in 2nd with 32 strikeouts. 

Waldrep made eight starts after an unusually long college season, with the University of Florida advancing all the way to the finals of the College World Series. Waldrep went 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA in 19 starts for the Gators, striking out 156 batters and walking 57. His combined 131 innings between college and the minor leagues was the highest of any 2023 draftee. 

Alex Anthopoulos thinks Hurston Waldrep could be a rotation option sometime in 2024

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