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.
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.”