Waldrep to Make MLB Debut Sunday at Washington
Sunday, June 9, 2024 | Baseball
CLEMSON, S.C. – All-American Florida hurler Hurston Waldrep is scheduled to make his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday afternoon, earning the starting nod for the Atlanta Braves at the Washington Nationals.
When Waldrep takes the hill in D.C., he will promptly become the 85th Florida Gator to play in the MLB. The fire-balling right-hander is the 33rd player of the Kevin O'Sullivan era to reach The Show, signifying the top total in the country since 2008. Waldrep is the third Gator to make it to the Bigs this season and the first since right-hander Christian Scott with the New York Mets on May 4.
After transferring to Florida from Southern Miss and pitching one season in Orange & Blue, Waldrep was drafted with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Braves. In his first half-season of pro ball, the Thomasville, Ga. native advanced all the way from Single-A to Triple-A and finished with a 1.53 ERA in 29 1/3 innings.
Opening the 2024 campaign at Double-A Mississippi, Waldrep made nine starts before being promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett for a one-start cameo. He totaled 55 1/3 frames of 3.09 ERA ball across the two levels while producing a 1.36 WHIP and 9.6 strikeouts per nine.
In his lone season as a Gator, Waldrep played a vital role in propelling Florida to the 2023 College World Series Finals and an SEC Title. He earned Second Team All-America honors (D1Baseball) and set the Florida program record for strikeouts per nine (13.8) in a career after making 19 starts with a 10-3 record in 101 2/3 innings. Waldrep posted a 4.16 ERA and .228 batting average against to go along with 156 strikeouts – the second-highest, single-season total in team history.
Below is a complete list of Gators to debut in the MLB under O'Sullivan.
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When Waldrep takes the hill in D.C., he will promptly become the 85th Florida Gator to play in the MLB. The fire-balling right-hander is the 33rd player of the Kevin O'Sullivan era to reach The Show, signifying the top total in the country since 2008. Waldrep is the third Gator to make it to the Bigs this season and the first since right-hander Christian Scott with the New York Mets on May 4.
After transferring to Florida from Southern Miss and pitching one season in Orange & Blue, Waldrep was drafted with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Braves. In his first half-season of pro ball, the Thomasville, Ga. native advanced all the way from Single-A to Triple-A and finished with a 1.53 ERA in 29 1/3 innings.
Opening the 2024 campaign at Double-A Mississippi, Waldrep made nine starts before being promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett for a one-start cameo. He totaled 55 1/3 frames of 3.09 ERA ball across the two levels while producing a 1.36 WHIP and 9.6 strikeouts per nine.
In his lone season as a Gator, Waldrep played a vital role in propelling Florida to the 2023 College World Series Finals and an SEC Title. He earned Second Team All-America honors (D1Baseball) and set the Florida program record for strikeouts per nine (13.8) in a career after making 19 starts with a 10-3 record in 101 2/3 innings. Waldrep posted a 4.16 ERA and .228 batting average against to go along with 156 strikeouts – the second-highest, single-season total in team history.
Below is a complete list of Gators to debut in the MLB under O'Sullivan.
| MLB Players Under O'Sullivan | ||||
| Player | Drafted (Round) | MLB Debut | Team | |
| 1 | Nick Maronde | 2011 (3rd) | September 2, 2012 | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2 | Paco Rodriguez | 2012 (2nd) | September 9, 2012 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 3 | Mike Zunino | 2012 (1st - 3rd overall) | June 12, 2013 | Seattle Mariners |
| 4 | Kevin Chapman | 2010 (4th) | August 9, 2013 | Houston Astros |
| 5 | Matt den Dekker | 2010 (5th) | August 29, 2013 | New York Mets |
| 6 | Anthony DeSclafani | 2011 (6th) | May 14, 2014 | Miami Marlins |
| 7 | Cole Figueroa | 2008 (6th) | May 16, 2014 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 8 | Preston Tucker | 2012 (7th) | May 7, 2015 | Houston Astros |
| 9 | Brian Johnson | 2012 (1st - 31st overall) | July 21, 2015 | Boston Red Sox |
| 10 | Nolan Fontana | 2012 (2nd) | May 22, 2017 | Los Angeles Angels |
| 11 | Austin Maddox | 2012 (3rd) | June 17, 2017 | Boston Red Sox |
| 12 | Harrison Bader | 2015 (3rd) | July 25, 2017 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 13 | Bobby Poyner | 2015 (14th) | March 31, 2018 | Boston Red Sox |
| 14 | Justin Shafer | 2014 (8th) | August 19, 2018 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 15 | Eric Hanhold | 2015 (6th) | September 4, 2018 | New York Mets |
| 16 | Richie Martin | 2015 (1st - 20th overall) | March 28, 2019 | Baltimore Orioles |
| 17 | Pete Alonso | 2016 (2nd) | March 28, 2019 | New York Mets |
| 18 | Shaun Anderson | 2016 (3rd) | May 15, 2019 | San Francisco Giants |
| 19 | A.J. Puk | 2016 (1st - 6th overall) | August 21, 2019 | Oakland Athletics |
| 20 | Brady Singer | 2018 (1st - 18th overall) | July 25, 2020 | Kansas City Royals |
| 21 | Dane Dunning | 2016 (1st - 29th overall) | August 19, 2020 | Chicago White Sox |
| 22 | Jonathan India | 2018 (1st - 5th overall) | Thursday, April 1, 2021 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 23 | Jackson Kowar | 2018 (1st - 33rd overall) | Monday, June 7, 2021 | Kansas City Royals |
| 24 | Taylor Gushue | 2014 (4th) | Wednesday, June 30, 2021 | Chicago Cubs |
| 25 | Kirby Snead | 2016 (10th) | Wednesday, July 28, 2021 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 26 | Mark Kolozsvary | 2017 (7th) | Wednesday, April 20, 2022 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 27 | Alex Faedo | 2017 (1st - 18th overall) | Wednesday, May 4, 2022 | Detroit Tigers |
| 28 | Danny Young | 2015 (8th) | Monday, May 9, 2022 | Seattle Mariners |
| 29 | Dalton Guthrie | 2017 (6th) | Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 30 | Jacob Young | 2021 (7th) | Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 | Washington Nationals |
| 31 | Wyatt Langford | 2023 (1st - 4th overall) | Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024 | Texas Rangers |
| 32 | Christian Scott | 2021 (5th) | Saturday, May. 4, 2024 | New York Mets |
| 33 | Hurston Waldrep | 2023 (1st - 24th overall) | Sunday, June 9, 2024 | Atlanta Braves |
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