MLB Draft: Florida RHP Hurston Waldrep to Atlanta in First Round

After producing 296 strikeouts over two collegiate seasons, Florida pitcher Hurston Waldrep was taken by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Atlanta Braves made Florida Gators right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep the No. 24 overall selection in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday night.

Waldrep was the second Florida prospect to hear their name called in the selection ceremony, following outfielder Wyatt Langford, who went fourth overall to the Texas Rangers.

A class of 2020 product of Thomasville (Ga.) High School, Waldrep originally signed with Southern Miss and spent two seasons with the Golden Eagles.

He made 11 appearances in a relief role as a freshman in 2021 before assuming starting duties in 2022, going 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA, a .213 batting average allowed and 140 strikeouts posted over 90 innings. Waldrep's performance as a sophomore resulted in Third-Team All-American honors from D1Baseball. 

Waldrep transferred to Florida and produced a nearly identical strikeouts-per-nine ratio against primarily Southeastern Conference competition, with 156 Ks over 101.2 innings. Only RHP Alex Faedo produced more strikeouts for the Gators in a single season with 157 in 2017.

Waldrep went 10-3 in 19 starts for the Gators, giving up a batting average of .228 and an ERA of 4.16. He was named to D1Baseball's All-America Second Team following the campaign. 

Read Waldrep's scouting report via MLB.com below: 

The right-hander has a legitimate three-pitch power mix, with all three offerings having the potential to be at least above-average. He was 95-99 mph in his looks this fall and that’s carried over this spring, though he’s struggled to command the heater at times. His best secondary offering is his split-change, a well-above-average pitch that misses an extraordinary amount of bats. His hard upper-80s slider also flashes plus and can be an out pitch.

While Waldrep is generally around the strike zone, there is a little effort in his up-tempo delivery, causing some inconsistencies with his command and control, which led to an uptick in his walk rate this spring. Those kinds of things can be ironed out, and his pure stuff still has him in early first-round conversations.

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