ATLANTA -- Hurston Waldrep went to bed on Aug. 2 expecting to start for Triple-A Gwinnett the next day. The Braves hurler will enter his next start as a strong candidate for the National League Pitcher of the Month Award.
“I couldn't be happier for him,” catcher Sean Murphy said. “He's throwing the ball so well. He’s pitching with a ton of confidence. You're just happy for a guy. When he does this, he kind of proves himself. So all credit goes to Hurston. He’s the man.”
This has been an eventful month for Waldrep, who threw seven scoreless innings as the Braves claimed a 1-0 win over the White Sox on Wednesday night at Truist Park. It’s pretty incredible to see how successful Waldrep (Atlanta’s No. 7 prospect) has been since he was awoken nearly three weeks ago and informed he’d be pitching in the Majors approximately 12 hours later.
“That was my chance and that’s the one you’ve got to take advantage of,” Waldrep said.
Waldrep’s season has steadily gotten better since he awoke around 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 3 to have a car service drive him a little more than four hours from the northern Atlanta suburbs to Bristol Motor Speedway, where he served as the Braves’ pitcher once the Speedway Classic resumed around 1 p.m. ET.
Had rain not led to the game being suspended on Aug. 2, who knows how long Waldrep might have had to wait before returning to the Majors for the first time since last year’s forgettable two-game experience. But he has certainly looked MLB ready while going 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA through four appearances (three starts) over 24 2/3 innings in August.
Waldrep escaped unscathed after he entered the Speedway Classic with two runners on and just one out in the first inning. He allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in that unique relief experience. Though he has just three starts, it seems more appropriate to point out the only MLB pitchers to produce a sub-0.73 ERA over any four-start span are the A’s Jacob Lopez (0.00 ERA from July 26-Aug. 12) and the Braves’ Chris Sale (0.65 ERA from May 29-June 18).
“He's not out there just launching,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He's pitching, which is really refreshing to see. He’s using his whole arsenal, throwing a lot of strikes. He's got pitches to get you out with. All the intangibles are really good. Yeah, it's been very impressive.”
Waldrep ranks second among qualified MLB pitchers (minimum 20 innings) in ERA this month, trailing only the 0.70 ERA that Lopez has constructed for the A’s. The Atlanta rookie’s lead in the NL is significant. Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez ranks second with the 2.05 ERA he has produced over four August starts.
This successful stretch has proven the Braves were wise to give Waldrep a chance to continue developing at the Triple-A level, even as injuries decimated the big league rotation. The 23-year-old hurler made his MLB debut on June 9, 2024, 11 months after being taken with the 24th overall pick in 2023 MLB Draft.
Waldrep clearly wasn’t ready, as he allowed 13 runs on nine hits and eight walks while totaling just seven innings over two starts.
And Waldrep continued to develop while constructing a 4.42 ERA over 19 Triple-A starts this year. It might not have been easy seeing 19-year-old Didier Fuentes and other starters get called to the Majors ahead of him. But Waldrep appreciates the Braves giving him a chance to best prepare himself for this latest chance in the big leagues.
Over the past few months, Waldrep heeded Murphy’s advice to develop a two-seamer and ditched his four-seamer that had natural cut, which he replaced with a cutter. This strengthened arsenal has enhanced excitement about how effective Waldrep can be in Atlanta for many years to come.
“You learn to be really grateful for patience and really grateful for opportunities, no matter where they are,” Waldrep said. “So, if it's at Triple-A or if it's here, it's an opportunity to play baseball. So you take that, just run with it, take advantage of it and don't take a second for granted.”