{"id":35049,"date":"2025-02-18T06:39:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T06:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=35049"},"modified":"2025-02-18T06:39:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T06:39:34","slug":"good-news-braves-top-prospect-drake-baldwin-seems-destined-to-be-a-starting-catcher-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=35049","title":{"rendered":"GOOD NEWS: Braves top prospect Drake Baldwin seems destined to be a starting catcher soon"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Braves<\/p>\n

NORTH PORT, Fla. \u2014 Watch Drake Baldwin\u2019s smooth, powerful left-handed swing in the batting cage, see him make throws to second base, observe him fully engaged when talking with pitchers, witness him smiling and laughing in the clubhouse with teammates who are both his age and much older, and one thing comes to mind.<\/p>\n

This kid is going to be a starting catcher in the major leagues in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n

Whether that\u2019s with the Braves or another team that pays a hefty price to acquire him, Baldwin seems destined to become someone\u2019s primary catcher.<\/p>\n

For now, he is the Braves\u2019 No. 1 prospect. And Baldwin, who\u2019ll be 24 next month, seems likely to make his MLB debut by summer, whether that\u2019s filling in after an injury or supplanting backup catcher Chadwick Tromp. The key is for Baldwin to continue with the elite offense he produced last year in his first season in Triple A.<\/p>\n

Promoted from Double A to Triple-A Gwinnett in the second week of June, Baldwin hit .298 with 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, a .407 on-base percentage and .891 OPS in 72 games, with almost as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54) in 334 plate appearances. He hit an opposite-field home run to left-center in the All-Star Futures Game that was the hardest-hit ball in that game.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s awesome,\u201d said Braves pitcher Ian Anderson, who pitched to Baldwin last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. \u201cI could stand here all day and talk about him. The best part about him is how good he is in the locker room. He loves being around the field. I think that\u2019s evident \u2014 he\u2019s probably one of the first guys to show up and last guys to leave. I think that goes a long way, especially for that position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anderson paused before adding, \u201cAnd obviously he can hit. Probably one of the better-hitting prospects I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Braves<\/p>\n

\n

The Braves love the way Drake Baldwin continues to evolve behind the plate, including with his throwing mechanics. (Mike Janes \/ Four Seam Images via Associated Press)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Braves pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver, who\u2019s made six MLB starts over the past two seasons and also pitched in a postseason game each of those years, has seen Baldwin\u2019s steady strides since they were in minor-league camp a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s an impressive hitter to watch. I love watching him,\u201d Smith-Shawver said. \u201cAnd whenever we see the best pitchers, the best fastballs, I feel like that\u2019s when he hits the ball hardest. So it was really fun to watch him all year. And he\u2019s a great dude. The way he manages the pitchers and makes sure that everybody\u2019s feeling comfortable with him and trusting in him, I think he does a great job with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baldwin was the No. 27 prospect in Keith Law\u2019s Top 100 preseason list in The Athletic, <\/em>after not making the top 100 a year earlier. It said plenty about the large strides made by Baldwin, a Wisconsin native and third-round pick by the Braves in the 2022 draft out of Missouri State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just keeps getting better,\u201d said Braves manager Brian Snitker, a former minor-league catcher. \u201cI think we\u2019ve done a really good job in developing this kid and letting him grow and mature. He\u2019s (opened) a lot of eyes. And I just look at a guy that just continues to improve every spring, getting better with all the repetitions he\u2019s getting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Snitker is seeing Baldwin for the third consecutive spring and has watched him develop into a powerfully built player with an inquisitive mind and a strong arm that he\u2019s learned to use more efficiently. Coaches and catching teammates have helped smooth his techniques behind the plate and throwing to the bases.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a bright kid, and he\u2019s got a nice future being a left-handed hitting catcher with power,\u201d Snitker said. \u201cAnd I know that the throwing\u2019s getting better and his receiving. Guys love throwing to him. Very knowledgeable young man, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baldwin has been a non-roster invitee to major-league spring training each year since he was drafted, but there\u2019s a strong sense this will be the last spring he has NRI next to his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat guy, and he can hit \u2014 strong guy,\u201d said Sandy Le\u00f3n, a 12-year major league veteran who signed a minor-league deal with the Braves five weeks into the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

Le\u00f3n hadn\u2019t met Baldwin until the young catcher was promoted to Gwinnett, but quickly got to know him and was impressed with everything he saw.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not afraid to communicate,\u201d Le\u00f3n said. \u201cHe asks questions. We talked a lot last year. He wants to learn. \u2026 When a young guy like that wants to learn, especially a catcher, he\u2019s going to be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pitchers, catchers, coaches and managers will tell you there is nothing more important for a young catcher than learning to call games and developing the trust and confidence of pitchers. It\u2019s a reason catchers generally take longer to develop than other position players, because it\u2019s not easy for many young ones to get past the initial trepidation of really talking to pitchers, especially veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he tries and wants to learn all that stuff,\u201d Anderson said of Baldwin. \u201cWants to learn the pitchers, wants to learn their repertoires. And he\u2019s so easy to talk to that he\u2019s going to have no problem making relationships with pitchers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baldwin\u2019s locker in the spring training clubhouse is next to Le\u00f3n\u2019s, and the two can be seen talking each morning at their lockers, the kid listening intently to the heavily tattooed veteran from Venezuela. \u201cEspecially being a catcher, you have to communicate and ask questions, not only to me but to the pitchers,\u201d Le\u00f3n said.<\/p>\n

Smith-Shawver said Baldwin goes out of his way to get to know pitchers, in the minors and at spring training.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the pitchers really appreciate that,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, Drake\u2019s the man. Everybody loves throwing to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he thought having Le\u00f3n at Triple A last year helped him, Baldwin said, \u201cOh, a ton. I mean, it\u2019s kind of invaluable. I got a great relationship with him last year, and then obviously being locker mates with him this year is pretty cool. We talk every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being around catchers Sean Murphy, Tromp and Travis d\u2019Arnaud and catching coach Sal Fasano the previous two springs also helped a lot, Baldwin said, as did catching many of the Braves\u2019 current pitchers in spring training or Triple A.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m definitely a little bit more comfortable this year with it being my third big league spring training,\u201d he said. \u201cI know all these people as friends, honestly. So just kind of going in there and if people ask me questions, try to help them out. If I\u2019m asking them questions, they all help me out. And they like to say iron sharpens iron. So just kind of be the best I can be and just have a lot of fun doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy, a 2023 All-Star, missed two months after his Opening Day injury last year and struggled mightily upon returning, posting a career-worst .193 average with 10 homers and a .636 OPS in 72 games. The Braves plan to give Murphy a heavier, more conventional workload this season, catching him in about four of every five games. He\u2019s in the third season of a six-year, $73 million extension that pays $15 million annually through 2028 and includes a $15 million club option for 2029.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arnaud and Fasano are now with the Los Angeles Angels, d\u2019Arnaud signing with them as a free agent after the Braves declined an $8 million option \u2014 they were trying to save wherever they could to fill other needs, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said \u2014 and Fasano hired as an assistant pitching coach after the Braves eliminated the catching coach position from their staff.<\/p>\n

Baldwin said d\u2019Arnaud taught him plenty, but one thing stood above the rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have a good time,\u201d Baldwin said. \u201cHonestly, just not ride the highs and lows too much. Like, it\u2019s baseball, there\u2019s going to be failures. There\u2019s going to be really cool moments as well, and kind of embrace those, embrace the good moments. And I mean, if something bad happened to me, I know they (other catchers) always did like the hat turns (wearing their caps backward) when you kind of messed up, and it\u2019s just kind of something to laugh about and you can move on and focus on the next play rather than just kind of hanging in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baldwin was asked what he wanted to improve upon this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust kind of improving on everything,\u201d he said. \u201cGetting more consistent is kind of the name of the game of baseball. But just being able to continue kind of what I\u2019ve been doing. I mean, probably hit a couple more homers, get a little bit better arm strength, get a little better receiving, get a little better all-around game, and obviously gain the experience of controlling a pitching staff a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Snitker said Baldwin is learning the finer points of throwing from one knee and other aspects of catching, things that veterans like Murphy, Tromp and Le\u00f3n can teach him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve done a good job of developing him and getting him all the reps that we can in the minor leagues,\u201d Snitker said. \u201cI hear about the opposite-field power from a left-handed hitting catcher. \u2026 Biggest thing I can say just having him in spring training, is that he\u2019s improving every year, which is a really good thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see videos over the course of his career. He\u2019s more polished and he\u2019s bigger and stronger. And I feel like the throwing has continued to get better, and I know they\u2019re going to continue to work on that with the different knees and all that kind of stuff. So, it\u2019s pretty good when you\u2019ve got a catcher like that that\u2019s on the horizon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baldwin was the No. 27 prospect in Keith Law\u2019s Top 100 preseason list and his stock only continues to rise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":35050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-35049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-atlanta-braves"],"yoast_head":"\nGOOD NEWS: Braves top prospect Drake Baldwin seems destined to be a starting catcher soon - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=35049\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GOOD NEWS: Braves top prospect Drake Baldwin seems destined to be a starting catcher soon - 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