Drake Baldwin is a name that many Atlanta Braves fans started to hear more chatter about as the regular season approached. By the fall, he was a local household name. The young catcher took the role formerly occupied by Travis d’Arnaud, platooning with Sean Murphy, and made the most of it, earning the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
During his rookie campaign, Baldwin batted .274 with 19 home runs and 80 RBIs. He totaled 111 hits in 124 games, 18 of which were doubles, while walking 38 times. Baldwin’s rookie year netted him a 3.3 WAR, one of the highest overall WARs among Braves.
Defensively, Baldwin boasted a fielding percentage of .995, with four errors on 781 total chances. He turned four double plays and caught 14 of 88 runners on stolen bases.
Baldwin played a total of 124 games, starting 97 games at catcher and 12 games as a DH. This bodes well for the future of the Braves, as they look to determine out how to balance having both him and Sean Murphy in the lineup. He had his clutch moments too, including late-game go-ahead home runs and extra-inning walk-off hits.
Additionally, Marcell Ozuna, the Braves’ longtime DH, is a free agent this year and may not be re-signed. Baldwin’s production at the plate makes him a prime candidate for the future of the position, something that Braves management has stated is in the plan for the 2026 season.
Baldwin’s tangible stats are, of course, what netted him the Rookie of the Year, but his offensive MLB percentile rankings stand as proof that Baldwin’s future is bright. He’s in the 91st percentile for bat speed, the 86th percentile for average exit velocity and the 82nd percentile for batting run value.
Defensively, Baldwin is in the 92nd percentile for blocks above average, but his other catching metrics are closer to or below average. He’s in the 19th percentile for runners caught stealing, the 45th percentile for framing and the 51st percentile for pop time.
Baldwin will enter his sophomore campaign with a lot of promise and high expectations. He’s shown his ability to stay composed through high-leverage situations and dry spells. One season isn’t a large sample size, but it gives us an idea of how he will approach each game going forward. If he can sustain this composure, he’s got a bright future ahead.
