Just when it looked like the Atlanta Braves were taping their starting rotation together with bullpen days and last-minute roster shuffles, a glimmer of hope may finally be peeking through the clouds. It’s coming from none other than Hurston Waldrep — Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect — who’s suddenly heating up at just the right time in Triple-A.
A Turnaround Worth Watching
Waldrep’s season didn’t exactly start off hot. After his debut outing in 2025 left him with a 1.80 ERA, things got rocky. By early June, his ERA had ballooned well over 5.00, and any talk of him helping the big-league club felt like wishful thinking. But now? Different story.
In his last five starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, Waldrep has carved out a 2.51 ERA over 28 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in four of those starts. Before this stretch, he hadn’t done that even once since opening day. He’s finding command, he’s mixing pitches, and he’s grinding. And for a Braves team absolutely starving for rotation depth, this is no small deal.
The Braves Rotation Is Holding On By a Thread
Let’s zoom out for a second. The Braves hit the All-Star Break down five starting pitchers. That’s not a rotation issue — that’s an identity crisis. Spencer Strider remains the anchor, and Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, and Davis Daniel are holding down spots (with Daniel quite literally finding out the morning before his last start that he’d be pitching). That fifth spot? It’s been a revolving door, and not the fun kind.
Nathan Wiles looked like a possible patch job — until he was optioned back down before even throwing a pitch. Didier Fuentes, a 20-year-old with one Triple-A start, got the call instead. That’s how thin it’s gotten.
Is Waldrep Finally Ready?
Waldrep made two starts in the big leagues last season — and, yeah, they were rough. Seven innings, 13 earned runs. Brutal. And that left the Braves understandably gun-shy about rushing him back up. But things have changed. He’s showing poise. His stuff is playing. His numbers are finally stabilizing. Most importantly, he’s looking like a guy who could hold down a rotation spot instead of being eaten alive by it.
Manager Brian Snitker’s already said he prefers using starters over bullpen days, and let’s face it — the bullpen has been stretched thin just trying to cover innings that should belong to a fifth starter. If Waldrep can string together a couple more solid outings in Triple-A, it might be now-or-never time to give him a real shot.
Maybe, just maybe, the Braves can finally stop scrambling to fill holes and start building toward the kind of rotation that can carry them into the fall.
