Hurston Waldrep Stats & Scouting Report College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Track Record: Waldrep started his career at Southern Mississippi, where he showcased some of the best pure stuff and arm speed in the country. After a stint with USA Baseballs Collegiate National Team, Waldrep spent his junior season at Florida, where he finished third in the country with 156 strikeouts in 2023. The Braves signed

BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: Waldrep started his career at Southern Mississippi, where he showcased some of the best pure stuff and arm speed in the country. After a stint with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, Waldrep spent his junior season at Florida, where he finished third in the country with 156 strikeouts in 2023. The Braves signed him to an under-slot deal just under $3 million with the 24th pick and he moved from Low-A Augusta all the way to Triple-A Gwinnett in his pro debut.

Scouting Report: Waldrep has a chance for three plus pitches, starting with a fastball that has easy plus velocity and averages 95-96 mph but has been up to 99 in the past. The pitch has just average life and carry and will primarily play thanks to its velocity and his quality secondaries. Waldrep threw both a slider and curveball in college, but the Braves had him scrap the curve and focus on his slider in his pro debut--a common theme of their pitching development. He throws the slider in the mid-to-upper 80s and the pitch features sharp, two-plane bite at its best. His most devastating pitch is an upper-80s splitter that completely falls off the table and generates ugly swings against hitters unable to hold back. Waldrep generated whiff rates north of 50% with both his slider and splitter in his pro debut. He has a violent delivery with a sharp head whack and below-average control.

The Future: The Braves worked with Waldrep to improve his rhythm and tempo in his pro debut, and continued refinement of his control and command will be crucial for him to profile as a midrotation starter. If not, he has the stuff to pitch in a high-leverage reliever role. Atlanta’s fast-tracking of him indicates he could make his big league debut in 2024.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 65 | Control: 40

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