Braves inching closer to extra draft pick thanks to Drake Baldwin

Despite the farm system always being ranked near the bottom of the league, the Braves constantly pump out elite young talent, the latest being Drake Baldwin.

At the beginning of the season, the likelihood of Baldwin competing for the Jackie Robinson award was slim to none. Sean Murphy was expected to garner 120 games behind the plate, leaving the chances few and far between for the rookie, who wasn’t even guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Then, Murphy was struck with a fastball in Spring Training, opening the door for the sensational prospect. The Braves gave Baldwin the nod, and he showed why everyone in Atlanta was excited about him.

Baldwin is slashing .277/.348/.468 with 11 home runs, 11 doubles, and 41 RBIs, all of which is good for an OPS+ that is nearly 30% above the league average. He has also done something that another prolific catcher, William Contreras, couldn’t during his time in Atlanta.

The Braves traded Wild Bill away, in part, because pitchers didn’t want to throw to him. Baldwin, on the other hand, has been more than serviceable behind the dish. He’s established himself as one of the 10 best catchers in baseball.

Among all players at his position, Baldwin’s 2.1 fWAR ranks tied for ninth in the league, and his 137 wRC+ ranks fourth. Just a week ago, national pundits were completely disrespecting the Braves’ star in the Rookie of the Year conversations, praising Jacob Misiorowski after just five starts instead. 

Thankfully, the world has finally come to its senses, and Drake Baldwin is finally back where he belongs atop of the ROY odds on BetMGM, as a -175 favorite, ahead of Misiorowski at +210.

Simply put, an everyday player thriving is more impressive than a starter who only began pitching in the majors a month ago. Drake Baldwin should be a heavy favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, which would net the Braves an extra draft pick at the end of the first round thanks to the Prospect Promotion Incentive, a rule implemented by Major League Baseball to encourage teams to promote their best prospects to the majors on Opening Day.