Former Florida Gators baseball star to make MLB debut with Atlanta Braves

Less than a year ago, right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep pitched the Florida Gators’ 24-4 victory over LSU in Game 2 of the College World Series. Now he is preparing to make his MLB debut.

Waldrep was recalled by the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, the team announced. Waldrep is ranked as Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect by MLB.Com and is the No. 72 overall prospect in the league.

Waldrep, 22, will make his debut Sunday, when the Braves take on the Washington Nationals at 1:35 p.m. EST inside Nationals Park. Waldrep has already arrived in Washington DC and spoke to reporters on Saturday afternoon.

After being selected 24th overall last summer, Waldrep made stops at both Class A levels, Double-A and Triple-A. He finished 2023 with a 1.53 ERA while striking out 41 batters in 29.1 innings over eight starts.

Waldrep followed his strong first act with an equally strong 2024. He started the year in Double-A with the Mississippi Braves, going 3-4 with a 2.92 ERA in nine starts. While pitching 49.1 innings, Waldrep allowed 52 hits and two home runs while walking 17 and striking out 48.

Waldrep, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, spent the first two years of his college career at Southern Mississippi before transferring to Florida for the 2023 season. As a national runner-up, Waldrep started 19 games, compiling a 10-3 record with a 4.16 ERA in 101.2 innings. He struck out 156 batters, the second most in program history, while walking 57 more.

In Gainesville, Waldrep struck out 13.8 batters per nine innings, the most ever by a Florida pitcher. He was a second-team All-American and first-team ABCA Southeast selection.

Now, Waldrep adds yet another tally to the list of former Florida baseball players playing at the sport’s highest level.