MLB Draft expert discusses Atlanta's selection of Hurston Waldrep

The Atlanta Braves selected Hurston Waldrep in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft and a MLB Draft expert is high on the pick.

Author:
Zac Blackerby
Jul 9, 2023 9:35 PM EDT

The initial reaction to Atlanta's first-round selection of the 2023 MLB Draft is very positive.

Atlanta selected Florida RHP Hurston Waldrep with the 24th pick in the draft and it's easy to like the selection. In the Locked On MLB Prospects 2023 MLB Draft live stream, host Lindsay Crosby shared the following.

"I think the fastball/splitter combo is fantastic," Crosby shared. "The fastball gets up to 99, it has a ton of run up in the zone. It will miss bats. The splitter, 70-grade. This might be the best (non-Skenes) pitch in the entire draft."

Waldrep's splitter graded out as the second-best pitch in college baseball last season.

"He has a slider, it's a two-plain slider," Crosby said. "He has a curveball, it's a vertical breaker. I think the curveball could be really good but he can't always land it for strikes."

"It feels like he's going to run through Atlanta's system very quickly. The biggest question that you have is the transition to the major league throwing schedule."

Crosby later added that this was his favorite pick so far in the 2023 MLB Draft.