The Next Big Thing in Atlanta! Mat Olson Tabs Braves Prospect Pitcher as Breakout Candidate
An Atlanta Braves top prospect has been tabbed as a breakout candidate by a star player on the team. According to Fox 5 Atlanta’s Miles Garrett, Braves first baseman Matt Olson mentioned right-hander Hurston Waldrep as someone who could make the jump this season.
Waldrep was the Braves No. 3 prospect on MLB.com in 2024. His ranking for the upcoming season will be revealed when the top 30 drops in March. The Braves drafted him in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
He made his Major League debut last season when the Braves were in desperate need of rotation help. He wasn’t ready for The Show, to put it lightly. The 22-year-old made two starts in June, just 11 months after he was drafted.
He gave up 13 earned runs in seven combined innings. His ERA was 16.71 and his WHIP was 2.43. Before he could be sent back to Triple-A, it was revealed he had elbow inflammation. He missed over a month.
Once he returned, he showed some strong promise for what could be coming.
He finished the Triple-A season with a 3.38 ERA in 40 innings pitched in eight starts. However, in his final six starts, he had a 2.22 ERA with one run or fewer allowed in five of them.
When he first came to the Majors, he was called up straight from Double-A. Now, he’s had a chance to get used to the level in between, so he’s a step closer to being ready.
He’ll have a shot to make the starting rotation in Spring Training. Last Spring, he pitched 4 1/3 innings across two appearances allowing no runs on two hits while walking four.
