Braves’ Hurston Waldrep Brings Back A Key Pitch To Repertoire
Hurston Waldrep is somewhat a forgotten man in the Braves’ pitching mix.
Rookie righthander AJ Smith-Shawver and his dynamic stuff headlines a list of intriguing young pitchers in Atlanta, but Waldrep—the club’s 2023 first-round pick—has not received much buzz.
The former Florida Gators ace made two MLB starts a year ago, failing to make a strong impression. He was sidelined for a month with elbow inflammation before spending the rest of 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett.
The 23-year-old Waldrep had a quiet spring, making only one appearance before the team optioned him to Triple-A. But those around him said Waldrep seemed far more comfortable than a year ago.
Notable was that he gained the natural confidence and reassurance that comes with having “been there.” He’s better adjusted to the pace of the pro game, which he admitted has been a learning process since leaving Florida.
That makes sense for a pitcher who reached the majors less than a year after pitching in the College World Series.
“From what I’ve heard from some of the catchers who had him, there’s just a calmness this spring,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s not such a ‘What’s going on here?’ That’s why repetitions, innings—that’s what that’s about.”
The most notable development of Waldrep’s offseason: He’s throwing his curveball again after ditching it following the draft. He felt good about the pitch during the spring.
“Adding the curveball back gives me a little better tool to lefties,” Waldrep said. “It fits my fastball really well out of my arm slot and it just made sense to bring it back.”
The idea behind getting rid of the pitch initially was that the Braves wanted Waldrep to focus on his slider, which would play well off his splitter, the pitch for which he’s best known.
Waldrep opened the season in Gwinnett rotation, but he will see chances in the majors as a spot starter or even a reliever later in the year.
QUICK HITS
— AJ Smith-Shawver had a splendid spring and made the Opening Day MLB roster. The Braves saw better value in carrying Smith-Shawver than continuing to hope Ian Anderson would solve his command issues, which led to them trading the out-of-options 26-year-old to the Angels.
— The Braves were excited when Arizona high school lefthander Cam Caminiti fell to them at No. 24 in the draft last year. The 18-year-old experienced forearm tendinitis in the spring and was held back in extended spring training. Once healthy, he is expected to join the Low-A Augusta rotation.
