PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Six days before Opening Day, the Atlanta Braves’ roster was all but finalized Friday when they added three players — right-handed relievers Héctor Neris and Enyel de los Santos and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin — who had been non-roster invitees to spring training.
Each of the moves was expected, given their performances and the team’s needs, as well as recent comments from manager Brian Snitker hinting at what was coming. Least surprising of all was Baldwin, the team’s No. 1 prospect.
It was known that catcher Sean Murphy would begin the season on the injured list after fracturing a rib two weeks ago, and Baldwin is the best option to fill in while Murphy was sidelined. Still, Baldwin, 23, didn’t want to assume anything until he was told by Snitker.
That happened Friday morning at the Braves’ spring headquarters at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla., before they bussed to Port Charlotte to face the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Nice to officially hear it, to talk to Snit and have him tell me,” Baldwin said, smiling after catching eight innings of the Braves’ 7-3 win, including four scoreless innings by Chris Sale, whom Baldwin is scheduled to catch in Thursday’s season opener at San Diego.
The #Braves today selected RHP Enyel de los Santos, RHP Héctor Neris and C Drake Baldwin to the major league roster.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 21, 2025
“I mean, I didn’t know for sure, obviously it was still up in the air and they were going to take the guys that they wanted” on the Opening Day roster, Baldwin said. “But it’s nice to know I’m going over to San Diego, and I’m going to start out there. (Bench coach Walt Weiss) brought me (to Snitker’s office), and it was like, ‘We think that you’re in a good spot for the team.’ And just, like, ‘Congratulations, you’re going to be going with us.’ So it was pretty cool.”
Baldwin paused and added, “I think I had an idea. It wouldn’t have lasted this long if it wasn’t going to happen. I just think I started smiling or something. It’s something you dream of your whole life, so it’s pretty cool.”
Teammates were thrilled for Baldwin, who began last season in Double A and will make his major-league debut on Opening Day, catching the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.
A third-round draft pick in 2022 out of Missouri State University, Baldwin used a stellar performance last summer after a promotion to Triple A to go from not being in any Top 100 prospect lists a year ago to a consensus pick this spring, including No. 37 in Baseball Prospectus’ Top 100 and No. 27 in Keith Law’s Top 100 list in The Athletic.
“It’s great,” said Sale, both seemed happy and proud talking about Baldwin making the Opening Day roster. “I mean, any time you make an Opening Day roster — getting called to the big leagues is awesome, but starting the year, being able to experience Opening Day is really special.
“He’s put in a lot of work. I mean, he’s really worked his butt off this spring training. A lot of back and forth, he asks a lot of questions. And he’s ready. I mean, I’ve seen it. On both sides of the ball, he’s prepared for this moment. So, we’re excited for him.”
Baldwin will turn 24 on March 28, the day after Opening Day, and Sale’s 36th birthday is March 30.
“I’ve got one more start at 35,” Sale said, laughing.
Then he turned serious, talking about what it’s meant to be a mentor of sorts for youngsters like Baldwin. Just like teammates did for Sale, a former first-round draft pick who was only 21 when he debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 2010, surrounded by veterans such as pitchers Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy and Scott Linebrink, catcher A.J. Pierzynski and first baseman Paul Konerko.
“Again, I can’t stress enough, the guys that I had when I was young,” Sale said. “I got to the big leagues when I was a young guy, too. And I remember what it meant for older guys to take care of me and kind of show me the ropes and be able to ask them questions. So I’m just trying to do what was done for me, just kind of show them the right way, the wrong way, and if they have any questions, be there for them.”
It’s appreciated by Baldwin, who’s had mentors in Triple A, including Sandy Leon, whose locker also was next to Baldwin’s this spring, and catchers at spring training, including Murphy and former Brave Travis d’Arnaud. Since Murphy’s injury, the Braves made sure to have Baldwin work with each of their starting pitchers.
“It’s been awesome,” Baldwin said. “Obviously, you never want someone to go down, but being able to work with guys like Sale and Reynaldo (López) and (Spencer) Schwellenbach and all those guys for an extended period of time in spring training definitely helps a little bit. Just so you’re comfortable with them and start to gain a better relationship with them. And I mean, obviously Sandy and all the other catchers, they’ve helped me a ton and got me to this point.”
After Snitker gave him the big news, Baldwin said his first phone call was to his mother, Bridgette, back home in Wisconsin. She’s a school teacher in Sauk Prairie, about 40 minutes from where Baldwin grew up in Madison.
“I sent her a little text first, like, ‘Hey, do you have time (to talk),’” he said. “Because I didn’t know if she had started school yet. But I told her and she was pretty fired up. So, she’s going to be out there in San Diego with a couple other people and some friends.”
Baldwin was beaming as he shared the interaction with his mom, and how happy he was to be able to tell her nearly a week before the big day, so she could plan.
“Her spring break’s that week,” he said, “so it works out perfect.”
(Photo of Drake Baldwin: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
David O’Brien is a senior writer covering the Atlanta Braves for The Athletic. He previously covered the Braves for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and covered the Marlins for eight seasons, including the 1997 World Series championship. He is a two-time winner of the NSMA Georgia Sportswriter of the Year award. Follow David on Twitter @DOBrienATL
