Atlanta Braves rookie Drake Baldwin burst onto the scene in 2025 and put the entire league on notice. No one expected him to be one of the cornerstones of the offense last season, but he didn’t just stick around after making the team out of spring training. He excelled.
Baldwin didn’t get much choice in the matter, as he became the starting catcher on Opening Day after Sean Murphy fractured a rib early in spring training. Baldwin didn’t look like a rookie at the plate, as he had some of the best plate discipline and bat speed on the team.
That was a constant all season for the youngster. It led to him receiving a lot of compliments from his coaches and teammates. He was extremely valuable to the team, and that value had him in the Rookie of the Year conversation all year long.
There’s a good reason why he has led that conversation. Baldwin slashed .274/.341/.469 with 19 home runs, 80 RBI, and a 125 wRC+. Those 80 RBI led all NL rookies in 2025. He also carried the third-highest fWAR (3.1) among qualified rookies.
Braves’ Drake Baldwin blows out Cubs’ Cade Horton in 2025 NL Rookie of the Year voting results
These incredible numbers led to the Atlanta catcher being named the National League Rookie of the Year over Cubs pitcher Cade Horton and Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin.
Former Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard made the announcement on MLB Network, and cheers could be heard in the background. Baldwin was apparently with family and friends at Spencer Schwellenbach’s home.
— MLB (@MLB) November 11, 2025
The race wasn’t very close at all. Baldwin won in a blowout, with 21 first-place votes over nine votes for Horton. The BBWAA definitely got it right, and no disrespect to Horton or Durbin, as they were both great in their own right, but Baldwin was just on a different level the entire season.
It was extremely well-deserved for Baldwin, who has a bright future in Atlanta. He is the tenth player in franchise history to earn ROY honors, and the third Brave to win the award over the last decade.
