Hurston Waldrep is making a strong case that he belongs in Atlanta. The Braves’ No. 4 prospect delivered again Saturday, tossing six-plus innings of one-run ball in a win over the Miami Marlins.
He scattered four hits, walked just one, and struck out six — five of those coming on his signature splitter. And he did it with a little extra heat, hitting a career-high 97.5 mph on the radar gun, up from his previous best of 96.2.
Splitter Still Nasty, Arsenal Expanding
The splitter remains Waldrep’s calling card, darting just above the knees before disappearing out of the zone. But the rookie is adding more weapons. Working with catcher Sean Murphy in the video room, Waldrep began replacing some four-seam fastballs with a sinker. Against Miami, he threw the sinker 18 times compared to just 12 four-seamers, while leaning most heavily on his splitter (28).
He’s also tweaked his delivery, lowering his leg kick to smooth out his rhythm and help command both sides of the plate. “We can produce the same velocity, if not more, with a different leg kick,” Waldrep explained. “The payoff we’ve seen from something like that has been awesome.”
Braves Manager Snitker Sees Growth
Manager Brian Snitker believes this version of Waldrep is better than the one who first came up earlier this season. “When they come up here, and you send them back, they’re always better the next time,” Snitker said. “The majority of them do.”
This time, Waldrep wasn’t just the 27th man for a doubleheader — the Braves officially recalled him to the active roster. And with two strong starts under his belt, it doesn’t look like he’s headed back to Triple-A anytime soon.
Given the Atlanta Braves’ recent track record of young arms locking down rotation spots, Waldrep is quickly becoming the next in line. If his current trajectory holds, he could be penciled into their starting five for 2026 — and maybe well before then.
