Braves Top Catching Prospect Named Rookie of the Year Candidate

It’s no longer low-key information that the Atlanta Braves have an up-and-coming catching prospect in Drake Baldwin. 

First, it was the strong performance in Triple-A. Baldwin batted .298 with an .891 OPS, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .407. He showed solid plate discipline with a 16.2% strikeout rate. He had nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54).

Then, he dominated in the Arizona Fall League. He had a .942 OPS over 13 AFL games and then represented Team USA in the Premier12 tournament in Mexico and Japan. 

On top of that, Baldwin was named the Braves top prospect and their Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. 

Naturally, when MLB.com put out a list of rookie of the year candidates - one for each team - Baldwin was the Braves’ pick. The article was a joint effort from writers Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo. 

Baldwin was picked over other top prospects such as pitchers Hurston Waldrep and  AJ Smith-Shawver - the latter was last year’s pick, and yes he still qualifies - and shortstop Nacho Alvarez Jr. All three are ranked ahead of him in the top prospect rankings and, unlike Baldwin, have all made their MLB debuts.

It’s not the first mention of Baldwin for the award either. Baldwin was named as one of two darkhorse rookie of the year candidates who were outside the Top 100 prospects list on Sept. 27. Now, the 2025 prospect list is not out yet, so this could change. 

To justify their pick, they addressed a key counterargument: What about catcher Sean Murphy? He’s under contract for the test of the decade and was acquired in a blockbuster trade two years ago. 

Murphy has a down year in 2024. While he could bounce back, this is an opportunity for Baldwin to earn playing time. 

“Sean Murphy is in the big leagues, but after he hit .193 last year, the door could be opening,” they wrote. 

The Braves currently don’t have a backup catcher. Travis d’Arnaud is now in Anaheim. While it’s been argued that it’s not the best use for Baldwin, the open spot has a good chance to get him into the majors. 

Baldwin will likely join the Big League club for the first time in Spring Training this year. If he has a good March, then potentially, he joins the Braves out of the gate. If that turns out to be the case, his path to being the top rookie in the National League will only gain more traction.