Florida Gators pitcher Hurston Waldrep drafted in first round by Atlanta
A second Florida player came off the board Sunday in the opening round of the MLB Draft, with Hurston Waldrep going No. 24 overall to the Atlanta Braves. He becomes the 19th Gator to get drafted in the first round and the 12th pitcher in program history.
Waldrep served as Florida’s Saturday starter this season after transferring from Southern Miss. He led the team with 156 strikeouts, a 4.16 ERA and a 10-3 record in 2023.
Waldrep earned 2023 First Team Preseason All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball for his play on the mound with the Gators. He’s the 11th-highest player to be drafted in team history and the sixth-highest pitcher out of 217 draft picks all-time.
The Thomasville, Ga. native returns to his home state with Braves as Florida’s ninth-highest selection across 101 draft picks under Kevin O’Sullivan. He’s the 21st Gators pitcher to be taken in the first five rounds since 2008.
Waldrep competed at Southern Miss for two seasons prior to Florida, earning Third Team All-American honors from D1Baseball in 2022.
He pitched to a 7-2 record with a 3.22 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 28 career appearances spanning 106 1/3 innings with the Golden Eagles.
Waldrep joins teammate Wyatt Langford, who was drafted No. 4 overall by the Texas Rangers, as a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
First-round draft picks in Gators history (19)
2023: OF Wyatt Langford – Round 1, Pick 4 (Texas Rangers)
2023: RHP Hurston Waldrep – Round 1, Pick 24 (Atlanta Braves)
2022: OF Sterlin Thompson – Round 1, Pick 31 (Colorado Rockies)
2018: 3B Jonathan India – Round 1, Pick 5 (Cincinnati Reds)
2018: RHP Brady Singer – Round 1, Pick 18 (Kansas City Royals)
2018: Jackson Kowar – Round 1, Pick 33 (Kansas City Royals)
2017: RHP Alex Faedo – Round 1, Pick 18 (Detroit Tigers)
2016: LHP A.J. Puk – Round 1, Pick 6 (Oakland Athletics)
2016: RHP Dane Dunning – Round 1, Pick 29 (Washington Nationals)
2015: SS Richie Martin – Round 1, Pick 20 (Oakland Athletics)
2013: RHP Jonathon Crawford – Round 1, Pick 20 (Detroit Tigers)
2012: C Mike Zunino – Round 1, Pick 3 (Seattle Mariners)
2012: LHP/1B Brian Johnson – Round 1, Pick 31 (Boston Red Sox)
2007: 1B Matt LaPorta – Round 1, Pick 7 (Milwaukee Brewers)
1998: 1B/OF/LHP Brad Wilkerson – Round 1, Pick 33 (Montreal Expos)
1993: RHP Marc Valdes – Round 1, Pick 27 (Florida Marlins)
1992: RHP John Burke – Round 1, Pick 27 (Colorado Rockies)
1991: RHP John Burke – Round 1, Pick 6 (Houston Astros)
1989: RHP Jamie McAndrew – Round 1, Pick 28 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
1986: OF Scott Ruskin – Round 1, Pick 8 (Montreal Expos) *secondary phase*
1983: RHP Rich Rice – Round 1, Pick 3 (Baltimore Orioles) *secondary phase*
1983: SS Robby Thompson – Round 1, Pick 2 (San Francisco Giants) *secondary phase*
1981: LHP Rob Murphy – Round 1, Pick 3 (Cincinnati Reds) *secondary phase*
1981: RHP Randy O’Neal – Round 1, Pick 15 (Detroit Tigers) *secondary phase*
1978: C Jim Watkins – Round 1, Pick 1 (Atlanta Braves) *secondary phase*
