The Atlanta Braves are trying to get back to their winning ways in 2025 after bowing out of the playoffs quietly last season. After a long stretch of deep playoff runs, the braves went out quietly with a 2-0 loss to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series.

Now, spring training is underway and the Braves are focused on competing in a loaded NL East. Atlanta ace Chris Sale pitched for the second time this spring on Tuesday, a 0-0 tie with the Minnesota Twins.

Tuesday also marked Sale’s first time working with the Braves’ top catcher prospect Drake Baldwin. The two worked very well together, as sale threw four hitless innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. After the game, Sale had plenty of good words for the young backstop, via Harrison Smajovits of Sports Illustrated.

“Just seeing him on a day-to-day basis, it’s fun for me because I’ve been here for a little bit now – just seeing how people work, how people operate, how people interact with people,” Sale said of the Braves’ prospect, per Smajovits. “He’s always in the weight room. He has an unblievalble work ethic. He has a great routine from what I’ve seen. He’s around all the right guys, and that’s what you want from a young guy who’s in the position to take over a very, very important position. He isn’t afraid to ask questions. He’s going all the right things and like I said, it look like he’s starting to chisel out a pretty good routine for himself. Very likeable guy, too, which is great.”

Baldwin spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues after the Braves drafted him in the third round of the 2022 June Amateur Draft. He is a consensus tip 65 prospect heading into the 2025 season, and those skills were on full display on Tuesday.

It’s unclear what Baldwin’s role with the Braves will be when the regular season starts. Regardless of whether he starts the year in the big leagues or not, it’s very encouraging to see him getting these reps with some of the elite pitchers on the team this early in his career.