24. Atlanta Braves: Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida
Who is Waldrep? While many pitchers taken this early in the draft are known for their velocity, it's a devastating split-change that comes to hitters at 85-89 mph and drops sharply just before it gets to home plate that has Waldrep going this high. Although his overall ERA this season was an underwhelming 4.16, look no further than his postseason performance to see why he's so highly regarded. The Florida right-hander struck out 12 batters against UConn in the regional round, followed by 13 against South Carolina over eight scoreless super regional innings, and then K'd 12 Oral Roberts batters over six innings at the College World Series.
Why the Braves took him here: Because they've been pretty good in recent years in drafting college pitchers and getting them quickly to the majors (see 2023 All-Stars Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder). From a stuff standpoint, Waldrep is more Strider than Elder, which speaks to the upside here -- besides the splitter, he also hits 99 mph with the fastball. He fanned 156 batters in 101 2/3 innings for the Gators and while the control has to improve, the Braves' track record makes this an intriguing selection.