Braves' Hurston Waldrep pitches seven scoreless innings as breakout continues

ATLANTA — The MLB Speedway Classic getting delayed due to inclement weather turned into one of the best results of the Braves’ season.

Sure, the trophy and celebration on the racing track was nice, but the real victory was seeing Hurston Waldrep. Several weeks ago, the Braves summoned the pitcher, who’d been stashed in Triple-A the entire season, to cover innings in a suspended game that had resumed a day later.

He impressed in a tough spot, earning additional looks.

“That’s part of being in Triple-A and waiting for your shot,” Waldrep said. “You never know what’s going to happen. You never know how it’s going to happen. You look at those rainouts, everything that’s happened this year and that was my chance (in Bristol). That’s what you have to take advantage of.”

Less than three weeks later, it’s hard to imagine the 2026 rotation without Waldrep in it.

The Braves defeated the White Sox, 1-0, Wednesday at Truist Park to take the series. The win-loss result will rarely be the story with this team moving forward since it’ll take a borderline miracle for it to even get close to a postseason berth.

Still, they Braves are 11-3 since getting swept by the red-hot Brewers. They’re 7-1 in their last eight. If the Braves continue finishing strong, they’ll feel much more optimistic entering 2026.

And Waldrep is a real reason for further encouragement. He’s been an integral part of the Braves’ best two-week run of the season.

The 2023 first-rounder looked overwhelmed in two major league outings last year. This time, he’s been masterful. And his latest outing might’ve been his best.

Waldrep pitched seven scoreless innings against a White Sox lineup that brutalized Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder the past two nights. He surrendered just four hits, striking out seven and walking one.

The righty has a 0.73 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. He has a 24:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The eye test backs up the numbers; he appears poised and confident, as if he’s done this for years.

Waldrep is the second rookie in the modern era to earn the win in each of his first four appearances of a season while allowing one or no runs in each outing. The other was the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” catcher Sean Murphy said. “He’s pitching with a ton of confidence. You’re just happy for a guy when he does this and proves himself. All credit goes to Hurston, he’s the man. He’s throwing the ball so well.”

Waldrep’s maturity and calm demeanor is even evident in post-game press conferences. He carries himself as a veteran, one who belongs in an organization that had raised all its homegrown talent in a winning environment until this summer.

The well-rounded arsenal might remind some of Spencer Schwellenbach, who unexpectedly emerged last season. Like Schwellenbach, Waldrep is showing he can beat opponents by locating or overpowering them. And he has plenty more upside to dream upon.

More context of Waldrep’s brilliance, courtesy of the Braves’ public relations department: Since 1963, only five other Braves pitchers have completed their fourth outing with a 0.73 ERA or lower (minimum of 20 innings): Greg Maddux (1998, 2001), Tim Hudson (2007), Aaron Harang (2014), Max Fried (2023) and Reynaldo Lopez (2024).

“The development, the progression from what I saw last year has been really, really nice,” manager Brian Snitker said of Waldrep. “To see his assortment, the strike-throwing. He’s not out there launching, he’s pitching, which is really refreshing to see. He’s using his whole arsenal, throwing a lot of strikes. He has pitches to get you out with. All the intangibles are really good. It’s been very impressive.”

The Braves will need rotation help next season beyond starters Chris Sale, Strider and Schwellenbach. Waldrep seems like he’s earning an opportunity to provide it. That fateful weekend in Bristol, when Waldrep was rushed to Tennessee as an innings eater, already feels long ago.

“I’m just taking my one day a week and making the most of it, but also being able to sit back the days I’m not throwing, be in the dugout and be around these guys, there’s a lot of passion and competitiveness for this game,” Waldrep said. “They make sure that everyone knows it. It makes the game more fun for everyone here, so to be part of that is really cool.”

In other news Wednesday, Braves third baseman Austin Riley was in Philadelphia visiting with a sports-hernia specialist. Riley has been sidelined since Aug. 4 with lower abdomen pain and there’s concern it could be a sports hernia. The persisting pain has led to an extended absence for Riley, who doesn’t appear close to returning any time soon.

“Talk to people who’ve had those things (hernias) and they’re painful,” Snitker said. “Just the risk, why they sent him to see someone, that he might hurt something else. It’s not worth that risk so they’ll get him checked out and see what the determination is.”

The Braves are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series against the Mets on Friday. They’re 7-3 against New York this season and could deal further damage to the Mets’ postseason aspirations. Lefty Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72) will face Mets rookie righty Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00) in the series opener.