Right-hander [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] transferred from Southern Miss to Florida last offseason to help boost his draft stock, and that gambit paid off Sunday as the Atlanta Braves drafted him 24th overall in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Waldrep cemented himself as a first-round pick as the Gators’ Saturday night starter. An incredible run through the College World Series put him on the radar of every scout seeking a college arm. Although his fastball can reach up to 98 miles per hour at times, it’s the splitter that has MLB experts so excited about him.
When Waldrep can command his splitter, he generates a ton of a swing and miss and is a threat to neutralize any offense. He also has a slider that works well, especially when the other two pitches are hitting their marks.
He finished the 2023 campaign with a 4.16 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 101 2/3 innings. His 12.7% walk rate could use some work, but his 34.7% strikeout rate made up for it.
Waldrep is the 19th Florida baseball player to be drafted in the first round and the 27th arm to be selected in the first five rounds under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
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