This Atlanta Braves season has been nothing to write home about. Braves Country is seeing the worst stretch of baseball since their downtick from 2014 to 2017 in the wake of the Team of the 90s era. Ownership is maddening. People are frustrated. We have been presented problems and offered no solutions with this team. Football season is almost here in the southeast, so we have that coming...
In the meantime, what is there to be salvaged from a wasted year of Braves baseball? The best pathway forward is to identify what up-and-coming players must be part of the 2026 team. Of course, I am talking about former top prospect Hurston Waldrep. Again, prospects do nothing for me, but with nothing left to lose, let's see if he can get it like Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver did.
After looking varying shades of dreadful during his first two big-league appearances last season, Waldrep looked promising near the Bristol Motor Speedway tarmac over the weekend. The plan is to keep him in the starting rotation at least for the time being. Manager Brian Snitker may be done after the end of this season, but he is a Braves lifer and will want to make sure the franchise will be alright.
David O'Brien of The Athletic reported on Thursday morning the plan of action vs. the Miami Marlins.
#Braves' Erick Fedde is set to start Game 2 of Saturday's DH, which means Hurston Waldrep would start Game 1 that day. Snitker had said Waldrep was likely to start one of the doubleheader games. Braves currently have TBA listed for DH Game 1 and Wentz Sunday. Elder on Friday.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 7, 2025
It will be Bryce Elder on Friday, Erick Fedde and Waldrep on Saturday, before Joey Wentz on Sunday...
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Hurston Waldrep to get second outting with Atlanta Braves on Saturday
As part of their double-header vs. the Fish, Waldrep will toe the rubber in the first of two games on Saturday with the veteran Fedde getting the the second start of the day later in the evening. Although Waldrep did not get the start vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway, he did pitch a strong 5.2 innings. He had allowed one earned run on three hits, walking two while striking out four batters.
Waldrep was the Braves' first-round pick out of Florida in the 2023 MLB Draft. He may have been elevated prematurely last year on account of his stuff, but it was his fast and unrefined delivery that was getting him in trouble. Waldrep struggled with the command and location of his pitches as a result. He got teed off on in his two-game run last year. It is still hard for me to forget that ravaging.
But at this point, what do the Braves have to lose? I distinctly remember Schwellenbach looking rough out of the gate initially in Atlanta uniform before really finding his groove before his injury. Smith-Shawver looked like a lost puppy prior to this season. He too was starting to figure it out before a brutal injury unraveled his season. The Braves could be much better next year if the arms are healthy.
With Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes down for the count, a roster spot is there for Waldrep to take.