Atlanta Braves call up top prospect to debut against Nationals

The Atlanta Braves’ pursuit of a fifth starter has added an exciting new piece.

The Braves recalled right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep on Saturday, the team announced. Waldrep is ranked as Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect by MLB.Com, behind AJ Smith-Shawver, and is the No. 72 overall pick in the league.

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

Drafted No. 24 overall by Atlanta in 2023, Waldrep has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks. He made only four starts at the Class-A level, one with the Augusta GreenJackets and three with the Rome Emperors, before moving to Double-A Mississippi.

Waldrep, 6-2 and 210 pounds, started three games for Mississippi and one for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers in 2023, giving him outings at four different levels in Atlanta’s minor league system in his first professional campaign.

During his various stops, Waldrep impressed, finishing the year 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 Mississippi, 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.

Since starting June 2 in Gwinnett, Waldrep has pitched six solid innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and fanning a career-high 11 batters.

Prior to his professional career, Waldrep spent two years at the University of Southern Mississippi before transferring to the University of Florida for his final campaign in 2023.

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 while walking 57 others.

Now the Cairo, Georgia, native is at the sport’s highest level — and will get the ball Sunday as Atlanta looks to leave the nation’s capital with a victory.