The Atlanta Braves first-round pick in 2023 quickly shot up through the minor league ranks last season, including making a start with the Triple-A affiliate Gwinnett Stripers. Hurston Waldrep looked great in that start, throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the Durham Bulls, the legendary Tampa Bay Rays affiliate who was the runner-up for the International League championship.
It’s apparent that Waldrep is on his way to being a big league starter, but how soon will it happen? Atlanta Braves insider Grant McAuley told The Morning Shift what opportunities he thinks the young right-hander will have in Atlanta this season.
“Well in 2024 I do think the opportunity is out there for a first-round draft pick like Waldrep, who has what the Braves believe is a major league ready out pitch in his splitter, and also a good fastball and as a starter in college you know pitched at every level in the minors very quickly last year," McAuley said. "I don’t know that he’s necessarily ready to break camp coming right out of Spring Training."
Grant continued by talking about how it might be tough for Waldrep to crack the Braves’ starting rotation if everyone is healthy.
“The Braves do have, if everyone’s healthy, I think the five guys that they would like to start the year with," started McAuley. "Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, Chris Sale, and Bryce Elder, would be my guess."
Grant finished his thought by bringing up the fact that the Braves had a lot of injuries in their pitching staff last season, and if the Braves face that same issue again this season Waldrep will definitely be in the mix.
“We saw last year the Braves went through about a dozen starting pitchers," McAuley said. "This is a guy they have their eyes on, and this is his first big league camp so the chance to make a big first impression and to just begin the work and be ready when the Braves need him. That could happen at any time this year because we saw Max Fried get hurt after his first start last year, so stranger things have happened than Hurston Waldrep getting bounced out to the big leagues very quickly this year.”
Just as Grant said, Waldrep’s opportunity could come at any point this season, and as long as he’s ready and performs well that first opportunity won’t be his last.