The Atlanta Braves farm system has ranked near the bottom of the pack for quite some time now, a consequence of being a young and perennially contending team. Nonetheless, they have several interesting pieces that figure to contribute in the big leagues sooner rather than later. The one garnering perhaps the most excitement this spring is sweet-swinging catcher Drake Baldwin.
Who is Braves Prospect Drake Baldwin?
The Madison, Wisconsin native starred at Missouri State and declared for the draft after a huge junior year in 2022. The Braves selected him in the third round (96th overall) that year and he has since seen a rapid ascent through the minor leagues. MLB.com currently ranks Baldwin, 23, as Atlanta’s #1 prospect and 63rd overall. Interestingly, Fangraphs is far more bullish in ranking him 11th overall, as well as the highest of all 19 prospects with a Future Value rating of 55.
Every analyst agrees on one thing with Baldwin: his calling card in the big leagues will be his bat. After reaching Triple-A Gwinnett halfway through last season, he raked to the tune of a .298/.407/.484 slash line in 72 games. This performance earned the youngster the Braves Minor League Player of the Year from Baseball America.
He didn’t slow down in the Arizona Fall League either, slashing an eye-popping .377/.452/.491 in 62 plate appearances. The catcher has displayed special offensive traits at every stop, combining an excellent approach with fantastic raw power, particularly to the opposite field.
Drake Baldwin’s frozen-rope home run to the opposite field at the Futures Game put a bow on a strong first half spent at Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett.pic.twitter.com/w6AN6y3qqm
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 19, 2024
Baldwin’s defense has been more of a work in progress. At the time he was drafted, scouts were highly skeptical that he could eventually become a starting big-league catcher. He has always possessed a very strong throwing arm but entered the professional ranks with real concerns about his receiving and blocking. By all accounts he made major strides in the latter areas last year, instilling confidence in the Braves front office that he can be the team’s long-term future behind the plate. This is incredibly important for an organization that prioritizes strong defense from the catcher position, as evidenced by their decision to move off William Contreras for Sean Murphy two years ago.
Where Does He Fit In?
Speaking of Murphy, 2025 will be the second season of his six-year, $73 million contract. The Braves paid a premium for his services and he’s not going anywhere soon, which leaves Baldwin’s path to the majors blocked. However, Murphy’s time with the Braves has been riddled with injuries. The Athletic’s Keith Law writes: “Baldwin is ready to be an everyday catcher in the majors…he’s blocked for now by Sean Murphy, who was one of the best catchers in baseball in 2023 but was out with an oblique strain for nearly half of 2024 and didn’t hit in the other half, although the injury could easily explain the drastic falloff in his production.”
The Braves don’t seem inclined to try Baldwin at any other positions either. He has never played anywhere other than catcher in his professional career. Trying him out somewhere else would be a moot point anyway, as the most logical spots (corner outfield and first base) are all taken by players under contract for at least three years (Jurickson Profar, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson). Additionally, the DH spot is occupied by Marcell Ozuna.
When we might see him
Atlanta finds itself in the enviable position of having too much talent and not enough starting spots on the roster. Situations like these often result in trades, and the fact that Alex Anthopoulos has held onto Baldwin all winter demonstrates how much the Braves like his potential. There has been speculation that the Padres insisted on acquiring the young catcher in Dylan Cease/Michael King trade discussions, but those are reportedly all but dead now.
So what should the Braves do with him? With Travis d’Arnaud having departed for the Angels (pun intended) they could ostensibly make him the backup to Murphy, but they would certainly rather have him play every day so as not to stunt his development. After all, rotating him in at other positions to keep his bat in the lineup isn’t an option, as previously stated.
This leaves injuries as Baldwin’s most likely path to playing time with the big league club early in 2025. The Braves are no stranger to those. If Murphy or Ozuna were to go down, Baldwin would be a surefire candidate to step into their role. Otherwise, we can most likely expect to see him assume an everyday role in 2026 at the earliest (Ozuna is a free agent after this year).
The Last Word
Drake Baldwin is already turning heads once again in spring training workouts, and if he continues to rake as expected, it will cause some uncomfortable but exciting conversations in the Braves front office. He could probably debut on Opening Day and instantly be a fantastic big-league hitter. However, given the positional logjam and his need for continued development on defense, he is most likely to start the year in Gwinnett, where he will undoubtedly be the star attraction. Barring injuries to current starters, Braves fans can expect to see Drake Baldwin and his powerful bat debut in the late summer as the team gears up for its playoff push. When his time comes, the rest of MLB should watch out.
Photo Credit: © Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The post Braves Top Prospect is MLB Ready, But When Will He Debut? appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.