In the 5th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell out of the University of Virginia. After having a strong, albeit injury-shortened, 2017 season for Double-A Altoona, Waddell is off to a hot start in 2018.
In 2017 Waddell pitched 66 innings in 15 starts for the Curve. He allowed just 60 hits and 3 home runs while averaging 3.68 BB/9 and 7.64 K/9. He generated groundballs at a 49.2 percent rate while posting a 3.55 ERA and a 3.53 FIP for the eventual Eastern League Champions.