As soon as the Atlanta Braves drafted Hurston Waldrep with the 24th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, excitement and anticipation would be directed toward the prospect.
The former Florida Gators pitcher was excellent in the SEC and was effective during his stint in the minor leagues last season in levels from Single-A to AAA. Across his 29.1 innings pitched in the minors last year, he recorded a 1.53 ERA and 41 strikeouts, the most of any pitcher from the 2023 draft class.
MLB.com did a story sharing the data and numbers that they found after polling front-office execs from all 30 teams. When they asked these front office execs "Which pitching prospect is the best future closer?" 14% of them point to Waldrep.
Here's the full answer to the question via MLB.com:
30% - Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Brewers
14% - Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Braves
12% - Daniel Espino, RHP, Guardians
7% - Orion Kerkering, RHP, Phillies
5% - Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers
5% - Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates
5% - Ricky Tiedemann, LHP, Blue Jays
Waldrep is the second-ranked Braves prospect in our Braves Today Prospect Rankings. Only AJ Smith-Shawver is ranked ahead of him.
How long until pitchers and catchers report?
36 days. Atlanta's expected to ask pitchers and catchers to report on Monday, February 12th, in advance of their first spring training game on February 24th against the Tampa Bay Rays. An official announcement of the reporting date will come in January.
Here's the odds for the top 10 teams to win the 2024 World Series according to FanDuel
Despite Atlanta acquiring Sale a week ago, there were no moves in the gambling lines to win the 2024 World Series, with LA still being the favorites.
Los Angeles Dodgers - +380
Atlanta Braves - +650
New York Yankees - +850
Houston Astros - +900
Texas Rangers - +1000
Philadelphia Phillies - +1000
Baltimore Orioles - +1600
Toronto Blue Jays - +1800
Seattle Mariners - +1800
Minnesota Twins - +2500
Important Braves Today Offseason Stories
2023 MLB Free Agent Rankings
Current Atlanta Braves prospect rankings
Current Atlanta Braves 40-man roster
Key offseason dates for the Atlanta Braves
Projecting the 2024 Atlanta Braves' arbitration salaries
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