Three Braves under the most pressure in Sean Murphy's absence

This marks the second consecutive season that Atlanta will have to move forward early in the campaign without Murphy behind the plate. 

In 2024, Murphy played Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies but didn't play again until May 27 after straining a left oblique muscle. He finished the season playing in 72 games and posting a career-low 76 OPS+ (100 is considered league-average) while slashing .193/.284/.352 with 10 homers and 25 RBI.

With those numbers, the Braves were hoping for a rebound in 2025 from Murphy, especially with the departure of Travis d'Arnaud, who shared catching duties with Murphy for the past two seasons.

So with Murphy sidelined, who will need to step up for the Braves to begin the season?

1. Drake Baldwin — Atlanta's top overall prospect (and the 62nd-ranked prospect in all of Major League Baseball, per MLB.com) will likely get a chance to shine early in the season. He has received plenty of praise for what he has done to improve his hitting, and Atlanta manager Brian Snitker indicated on Monday that Baldwin would be catching reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale on Tuesday. 

Both are signs that Baldwin is being prepped to step in during Murphy's absence, but how much will Baldwin be able to step up once the regular season begins? The answer to that question will be critical to watch for early in the campaign.

2. Jurickson Profar — The Braves made a big splash in the offseason by signing the 32-year-old Profar to a three-year, $42M deal after posting a career-high OPS+ of 134 last season with the San Diego Padres. He will likely begin the season as the starter in left field, putting pressure on him to perform for his new team. 

While some regression back to the mean (Profar's career OPS+ is 98) is expected, Profar simply can't underperform in his first few weeks with the team while Murphy is sidelined.

3. Jarred Kelenic — In his first season with Atlanta, the 25-year-old Kelenic scuffled overall, slashing .231/.286/.393 for an OPS+ of 87, and that includes a slash line of .183/.252/.343 after the All-Star break.

Kelenic is expected to be an answer for the Braves in right field until Ronald Acuna Jr. returns from a knee injury. If Kelenic continues his second-half struggles into the first part of the 2025 season, it would give the Braves another potential position (along with Murphy's catcher spot) in the lineup with a question mark.