Former Florida Gators Ace Gets First MLB Call-up of 2025

Former Florida Gators Ace Gets First MLB Call-up of 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

It has been an exciting season for former Florida Gators baseball players. After Wyatt Langford took MLB by storm last year, superstar Jac Caglianone made his big league debut this June. Now, former Florida ace Hurston Waldrep is getting his call-up.

Waldrep was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick by the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 MLB Draft after spending one season with the Gators.

The 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher has impressed against minor league competition since being drafted. The Braves are now expected to call Waldrep up, according to Sports Illustrated's Harrison Smajovits. Waldrep will reportedly make his first major league start of the season in Atlanta's series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

This will be Waldrep's second stint in the majors. Last June, the righty made two starts for the Braves. He struggled in these two appearances, allowing 13 earned runs across seven innings, before being sent back down.

Now, Waldrep is hoping to stay in the bigs after starting 18 games for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers in 2025. He has turned his year around recently after struggling to begin the season. In three starts in July, Waldrep has tossed 16 innings, allowing just a pair of earned runs with 15 strikeouts.

In his one year in Gainesville after two years with Southern Miss, Waldrep was impressive. He made 19 starts, boasting a 10-3 record with a 4.16 ERA. He is the all-time program record holder in K/9 with 13.81. His splendid season in 2023 led to a D1Baseball Second-Team All-American selection.

The Braves have struggled this year, currently sitting 16 games behind the New York Mets for first place in the National League East. However, with the call-up of their No. 4 prospect in Waldrep, Atlanta fans are hoping the hard-throwing right-hander can help turn their season around.

Related: Royals Dealt Concerning Jac Caglianone News on Saturday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.