Top Braves Pitching Prospect Impresses in Grapefruit League Debut
The Atlanta Braves have made a habit of finding and developing good pitching, no matter how you look at it.
Whether it's an amazing 2020 draft class, led by Spencer Strider, or being called one of the best organizations at drafting and developing pitching by Baseball America, the Braves know what they're good at.
And they may have found another hidden gem in Hurston Waldrep.
A day after he turned 22, the 2023 1st rounder out of the University of Florida threw two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut, impressing manager Brian Snitker.
"It's a big deal, making your first big-league spring training appearance," Snitker told the media after the game. "That kid's got an electric arm, man." Waldrep showed just how electric that arm was, with his first fastball coming in at 99 mph and averaging 96.6 on the heater.
But it wasn't just the fastball that impressed - Waldrep threw 14 splitters and got three whiffs on the pitch. The offspeed pitch averaged only 574 RPMs, an absurdly low number that shows just how deadly it can be for opposing hitters.
(The lower the spin rate on a splitter, the better - the average spin rate in MLB for splitters was just under 1300 RPMs.)
Waldrep added a few sliders, throwing four, but threw no curveballs. Similar to other recent draftees by Atlanta, it appears that he's temporarily shelving the curveball to improve the slider. AJ Smith-Shawver followed this same development path, eventually reintroducing the curve to his arsenal last season after rarely throwing it in 2022.
Waldrep threw 34 total pitches, getting four whiffs while both striking out and walking two.
But while Waldrep may have impressed Braves officials, it doesn't give him the leg up on a starting job out of Spring Training. Bryce Elder and Reynaldo López are the current favorites for the 5th starter's role, with López throwing three scoreless innings to start Saturday's game, allowing only two hits, one walk, and striking out three.
Snitker confirmed as much after the game, saying that Waldrep's biggest needs right now were "work and innings and experience." Waldrep led all 2023 draftees in innings pitched and strikeouts last season, throwing 29.1 innings across all four minor league levels and racking up 41 strikeouts, but the track record stopped there until Saturday's relief appearance.
Expect Waldrep to start the season in AAA Gwinnett, with the caveat that depending on how he progresses, he might not be there long.
