Atlanta Braves welcome first-round draft pick Hurston Waldrep to Truist Park

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Hurston Waldrep (left) meets Braves manager Brian Snitker, July 15, 2023.

Credit: Peter Biello

Atlanta Braves first-round draft pick Hurston Waldrep paid a visit to Truist Park over the weekend.

“It’s a lifelong goal to be here and play at this level,” said the right-handed pitcher from Thomasville, Ga., who grew up a fan of the Braves. “It’s a relief and a dream come true.”

MLB's site said the Braves took Hurston Waldrep with the 24th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on July 9 in Seattle. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 19 prospect available in this year’s draft.

Waldrep, 21, was part of the University of Florida team that reached the College World Series last month.

His visit to Truist Park came days after signing a nearly $3 million deal with the Braves — slightly under the value of his draft pick slot. In Waldrep, the Braves may have gotten a Braves-fan discount. 

Hurston says he’s looking forward to leveling up for Major League play.

“Players are the priority here,” he said. “You have every resource possible in college. That’s how it was at a major D-I, so I can’t imagine what it’s like here for these guys.”

Hurston played college ball for the Florida Gators, going 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA, and Southern Mississippi, where he made 11 relief appearances as a freshman and started 17 games as a sophomore. He attended Thomasville High School, where he helped his team to three Region 1-AA titles from 2017 to 2019.

While at Truist Park on Saturday, Hurston met Braves manager Brian Snitker, the head coaches, and Braves legend Chipper Jones.

As Waldrep prepares for possible big league play, he’s been working on his arsenal of pitches. Recently he added (and some say perfected) a splitter, a pitch that, when thrown correctly, dives down and away from left-handed hitters.

“I needed something to get left-handed hitters out, which is why I started throwing it,” Waldrep says. 

Waldrep isn’t the only Georgia native to be drafted by his home team this year. Outfielder Isaiah Drake was drafted in the 5th round (162 overall) out of North Atlanta High School.

The Braves also drafted right-handed pitchers Drue Hackenberg out of Virginia Tech (No. 2) and Cade Kuehler out of Campbell University. See the full list of Braves draftees.

The Braves draftees join an organization that’s credited with constructing one of the strongest lineups and starting rotations in baseball this year. The Braves entered the second half of the season with the best record in baseball. As of July 17, the Braves are 61-31 and sit atop the NL East with a comfortable 9.5 game lead over the second-place Miami Marlins.