Hurston Waldrep Bio
Hurston Wayne Waldrep (born March 1, 2002) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed starter, he made his MLB debut in 2024 after climbing steadily through the Braves’ minor-league system. Waldrep has drawn attention for his poise on the mound and the sharp break on his signature pitch.
After going unselected in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, Waldrep rebuilt his stock across two college programs and ultimately became a first-round pick. His rapid rise from a lightly recruited high-school arm to a first-round selection has made him one of the more closely watched young starters in the Atlanta organization.
Early Life and Background
Waldrep attended Thomasville High School in Thomasville, Georgia, where he played on the baseball team as a pitcher and contributed on the football team as a placekicker and punter. He earned All-State honors in both sports, an unusual distinction that underscored his athletic versatility. His senior seasons helped establish him as a multi-sport talent with a strong competitive foundation.
Despite his high-school success, Waldrep went unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. That setback pushed him toward the college route, where he could continue to develop and showcase his abilities against stronger competition. He enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi to play college baseball, beginning a path that would eventually return him to draft relevance.
Path to Professional Baseball
As a freshman for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in 2021, Waldrep pitched 16 and one-third innings in relief and posted a 1-0 win-loss record with a 3.31 earned run average (ERA) and 16 strikeouts. For the 2022 season, he became Southern Mississippi’s Sunday starter, a role that reflected the coaching staff’s growing trust. Over 17 starts that year, he went 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA, 140 strikeouts, and 33 walks across 90 innings, numbers that announced him as one of college baseball’s top arms.
After the 2022 season, Waldrep entered the transfer portal and moved to the University of Florida. That summer, he played with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, an honor reserved for the country’s elite amateur players. He entered the 2023 season as a top prospect for the upcoming MLB draft and delivered on that billing by starting 19 games for the Florida Gators, going 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 101 and two-thirds innings.
Hurston Waldrep Career
Early Career (2023)
The Atlanta Braves selected Waldrep in the first round, with the 24th overall pick, in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. On July 13, 2023, he signed with the Braves for a deal worth $2,997,500. He made his professional debut with the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets, striking out eight in a single three-inning start, before earning a promotion to the High-A Rome Braves.
Waldrep continued to climb, reaching the Double-A Mississippi Braves and recording a 2.70 ERA with 11 strikeouts in ten innings there. On September 23, 2023, he made his first appearance at the Triple-A level with the Gwinnett Stripers, fanning five over four scoreless innings. The whirlwind debut season positioned him for a major-league opportunity the following year.
Atlanta Braves Debut (2024)
Prior to the 2024 regular season, Waldrep was invited to spring training and began the year at Double-A Mississippi. On June 1, he was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett, and across 19 minor-league starts in 2024, he went 5-7 with a 3.47 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 91 and two-thirds innings. His steady production convinced the Braves he was ready for the majors.
On June 9, 2024, Waldrep was added to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the same day versus the Washington Nationals, allowing seven runs on four hits and four walks while striking out Eddie Rosario in an 8-5 Braves loss. Across two starts during his rookie campaign, he posted an 0-1 record and a 16.71 ERA with three strikeouts over seven innings, a humbling introduction that set the stage for his bounce-back.
Atlanta Braves Breakthrough (2025)
Waldrep was optioned to Gwinnett to begin the 2025 season, where he started 19 games and went 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA. The Braves recalled him to the major leagues on August 3, and that same day he earned his first career win in the Speedway Classic versus the Cincinnati Reds in a 4-2 Braves victory. He pitched five and two-thirds innings and gave up one run, a milestone that carried historical weight.
Waldrep became the first pitcher credited with a win in the state of Tennessee in MLB history, and it was also the first MLB win by a Thomasville-based pitcher since Levale Speigner in 2007. After the recall, he appeared in ten games (nine starts) for the Braves and went 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 56 and one-third innings, cementing his place in the team’s long-term plans.
Atlanta Braves Era (2024-Present)
Waldrep’s late-2025 surge established him as a contributing member of the Braves’ rotation and bullpen picture. Through the 2025 season, he owns a 6-2 win-loss record, a 4.41 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in his major-league career. His combination of starter’s volume and reliever’s competitiveness has given Atlanta a flexible young arm for the years ahead.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a prospect, the quality of Waldrep’s splitter drew particular attention from evaluators. The pitch’s sharp drop allows him to generate swings and misses against both right-handed and left-handed hitters, and it complements a sturdy frame developed from his football background. His ability to miss bats at multiple levels has been the foundation of his strikeout totals.
Notable Events and Milestones
Waldrep’s signature moment came on August 3, 2025, when he earned his historic first MLB win in the Speedway Classic. He joined the list of first-round picks from the 2023 draft to reach the majors and became the first pitcher credited with a win in the state of Tennessee in MLB history. The Thomasville native also became the first MLB-winning pitcher from his hometown since Levale Speigner in 2007.
Hurston Waldrep Career Wins
Waldrep’s win column began at the major-league level on August 3, 2025, in a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Across ten appearances (nine starts) with Atlanta in 2025, he accumulated six wins, demonstrating an ability to deliver quality starts in high-leverage moments.
Atlanta Braves Highlights
Waldrep’s first MLB win came in the Speedway Classic on August 3, 2025, against the Reds. He finished his 2025 major-league stint 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 56 and one-third innings, a stretch that quickly turned a difficult 2024 debut into a promising sophomore narrative.
Other Wins and Performances
Waldrep also collected wins at every minor-league level, including a debut three-inning start with Single-A Augusta in which he struck out eight. He posted a 5-7 record with a 3.47 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 91 and two-thirds innings across Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024, and a 7-8 mark with a 4.42 ERA in 19 Triple-A starts in 2025.
Hurston Waldrep Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Waldrep grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, where his high-school years split between the baseball diamond and the football field helped shape his athletic identity. Public information about his parents and siblings has not been widely reported. He has kept his personal and family life largely private as his professional career has unfolded.
2025 Season Performance
Waldrep opened 2025 at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he was optioned to continue refining his command and pitch mix. Over 19 Gwinnett starts, he went 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA, showing the workmanlike consistency Atlanta’s player development staff had hoped to see. The numbers earned him a recall on August 3, one of the most important days of his young career.
After rejoining the Braves, Waldrep was pressed into action as Atlanta’s 27th man for the suspended Speedway Classic and delivered five and two-thirds innings of one-run ball against Cincinnati. He finished his major-league work in 2025 with a 6-1 record, a 2.88 ERA, and 55 strikeouts over 56 and one-third innings across ten appearances and nine starts, numbers that signaled an everyday role in the team’s future plans.
Waldrep’s late-season surge gave Atlanta a glimpse of the pitcher the Braves believed they were drafting in 2023. Heading into 2026 spring training, his standing within the organization appeared secure, and his splitter-driven approach positioned him as a candidate to compete for a permanent rotation spot. The combination of his power repertoire and his poise under pressure marked him as one of the organization’s most intriguing young arms.
