Waldrep’s latest outing was his best yet. He threw seven scoreless innings, tying a career high with seven strikeouts while surrendering only four hits and one walk. The only run of the game came in the fourth inning when Marcell Ozuna doubled, advanced on a groundout, and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Colson Montgomery. That unearned run proved decisive, with Raisel Iglesias shutting the door in the ninth for his 21st save and 13th straight scoreless outing.

Through his first four starts, Waldrep owns a 4-0 record and a 0.73 ERA across 24 2/3 innings. He has struck out 24 batters, walked six, and allowed just 13 hits. Opponents are batting a mere .159 against him. His dominant stretch places him alongside Valenzuela as the only pitchers in MLB history to win their first four decisions under such restrictive conditions.

Waldrep has dazzled in every start so far. On Aug. 2 at the Cincinnati Reds, he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out four. He followed that with a 6.0-inning outing against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 9, again giving up just one run while fanning six batters.

On Aug. 15 at the Cleveland Guardians, he went six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, and today, he delivered seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the White Sox, completing a four-start stretch that has already put him in rare MLB company.

The feat is even more striking considering Waldrep’s uneven season at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he posted a 4.42 ERA in 19 starts before his call-up. But since joining the Braves, he has emerged as a difference-maker, leaning heavily on his splitter to keep big-league hitters off balance.

Although Atlanta remains 16 games back in the NL East, the team has won 10 of its last 12 contests and secured four straight series victories. Waldrep’s emergence has been key to that success, giving the Braves a frontline presence as they continue to contend with an otherwise challenging season.