Baldwin's Poise Through Slump Pays Off With Big Day in Miami for Braves

Drake Balwin is starting to find his way out of the slump he had been experiencing this month. The Atlanta Braves rookie catcher collected two hits and a walk, including a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to make the game 7-0 and put it well out of reach.

Entering the day, he was batting .160 with a .516 OPS in 55 plate appearances across 18 games of this dry spell. Just after winning the Rookie of the Month honor in May in the National League, he was in the midst of a polar opposite June. He had a slow start at the beginning of the season for a few games, but this was his first time experiencing a dip following a tear and having to come back up from it.

Baldwin continues to stick to his approach throughout, and it paid off. He played a major role in bouncing back from a loss the night before. He was involved in some fashion in four of the seven runs scored, whether he drove them in or got himself in position to be driven in.

This slump hasn't deterred manager Brian Snitker from penciling him into the lineup and having him play more in tandem with catcher Sean Murphy. He's shown he's capable of it, and Snitker loves being able to mix and match the two catchers.

"It's nice when you have two guys," Snitker said via the FanDuel Sports Network. "Especially an offensive for like Drake has proven that he can be."

His bat dipped at an inopportune time with the Braves spirraling for a time to start the month. However, his bat is coming back at the right time. The Braves needed to tie the series, and he was able to step up and help ensure a win.

Baldwin's .293 average and .833 OPS lead all rookies in the National League. His recent games aside, he's still performing at a level higher than the Braves were hoping to get out of him this early.

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