What happened during Game 1 of the DH puts the Braves in a very tough position. AJ Smith-Shawver, a rookie starting pitcher, has arguably been the top hurler for the Braves this season. Smith-Shawver left the game after apparently hearing a “pop” in his arm. The right-hander has already been placed on the 15-day IL, and the Braves called up Michael Peterson to fill the void.

Smith-Shawver had been tearing up the MLB this season. In nine starts, the rookie is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. The sportsbooks took notice, and Smith-Shawver became the odds-on favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year.

Smith-Shawver’s teammate and catcher, Drake Baldwin, now takes over as the betting favorite to win the award. He is currently +220 to win. Marlins’ catcher Agustin Ramirez is second at +350, and Matt Shaw is third at +700.

Article Continues BelowBaldwin or Ramirez would be the first catcher in the NL to win ROY since Buster Posey did so in 2010 for the San Francisco Giants.

This season, Baldwin is putting together elite plate appearances. Ahead of the series finale, he is batting .337 with five homers, 15 RBIs, and a .912 OPS. Furthermore, the catcher has 33 hits, four doubles, walked seven times, and has only K’d up 15 times in 98 ABs. Last Saturday against the San Diego Padres, Baldwin smashed three singles and even walked once. He has yet to start a game in the series against Philadelphia but is back in the lineup for the finale.

The rookie has been batting second in a deep lineup for the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. leads off, followed by Baldwin, Marcel Ozuna, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies. Those six batters are as deep as any team in the league offensively.