Spotlight Turns to Braves Prospect Following Sean Murphy Injury News

Baldwin was already a player to watch in Spring Training. He was selected to the Futures Game last summer and launched a 411-foot homer to the opposite field during the exhibition. Baldwin really showed what he could do with the bat in 72 games at Triple-A, posting an .891 OPS with a dozen homers over 334 plate appearances.

Baldwin went on to gain even more attention with his performance during the Arizona Fall League, as he put together a .377/.452/.491 slash line across 62 plate appearances. The third-round draft pick from 2022 has followed that up with four hits, including a double, in his first 12 at-bats this spring.

Given Murphy’s timetable, the opportunity is certainly there for Baldwin to potentially open the regular season as the Braves starting catcher. As far as Braves manager Brain Snitker is concerned, “he’s (Baldwin) improved. He’s gotten better over time. You can see what everybody is talking about.”

Baldwin’s ability to work with the pitching staff is obviously crucial as well, especially for a young backstop. He has gotten a vote of confidence from some Braves hurlers already, including 2024 All-Star Reynaldo Lopez who said of Baldwin “the way he has been framing and receiving has been very impressive.”