Drake Baldwin no longer the favorite to win Rookie of the Year award

The Atlanta Braves have every incentive to give Drake Baldwin regular playing time down the stretch. If the young catcher takes home NL Rookie of the Year honors, the club would be rewarded with a valuable extra draft pick at the end of the first round. That would be massive for the Braves, who currently feature one of the worst farm systems in the sport.

Of course, that shouldn’t really factor into Brian Snitker‘s decision-making when it comes to the lineup card. Even if fans have checked out, the team hasn’t. They want to win, draft picks be damned.

With that being said, Drake Baldwin shouldn’t be in the lineup because the Braves could net an extra draft pick if he wins the Rookie of the Year award. He should be in the lineup damn near every night because he’s one of the five best offensive players on the team. Why he’s played in just two games this week is a bit of a head-scratcher, and it’s certainly hurting his case of becoming the Braves third Rookie of the Year award recipient since 2018.

Baldwin had been the favorite for quite some time, but that changed this week, with Isaac Collins of the Milwaukee Brewers taking the lead.

NL Rookie of the Year Odds, via DraftKings

• Isaac Collins: -135
• Drake Baldwin: +105
• Cade Horton: +1100
• Agustin Ramirez: +2500

If season ended today, Isaac Collins would be deserving of the award. He’s having a slightly better season than Baldwin, even if it is by the thinnest of margins, and he’s doing it for the team with the best record in Major League Baseball.

We’ll see how the Braves utilize their rookie backstop moving forward, but with the way Marcell Ozuna has been raking over the last two weeks, I don’t imagine the Big Bear is going to find himself out of the lineup often. That leaves limited opportunities for Drake Baldwin to make an impression down the stretch.