After winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2025, Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin is back for an encore.
The 25-year-old backstop is off to a blistering start in 2026, slashing .300/.378/.625 entering Monday’s action. Baldwin’s OPS+ sits at 186, which is 86 points above league average. He is also tied for the NL lead in homers with four, has driven in 12 runs, and has scored 10 runs in 10 games.
Drake Baldwin Ties Hank Aaron
Being plated in each of the Braves’ first seven games this season, Baldwin tied a franchise record set by legendary MLBbro Hank Aaron in 1957.
As well-rounded a hitter as they come, Baldwin does not have many holes in his game at the plate. He possesses elite bat speed and barrel accuracy, as well as top-notch contact rates, with the ability to hit the ball to all fields.
Rarely striking out while sitting above the league norms of taking free passes, Baldwin has displayed a unique comfort level in his hitting approach that is rare among younger players.
Drake Baldwin Among Elite Catchers In Baseball
He is currently tied with the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers for the highest fWAR (0.6) among all catchers. With respectable framing and pop time metrics, Baldwin is no slouch defensively either, putting him in line to be a real two-way threat behind the plate.
A 2022 third-round pick out of Missouri State, Baldwin rose through the ranks due to his hitting prowess. He topped out as the Braves’ No.1 prospect and No. 62 overall according to MLB Pipeline, prior to his call-up, creating high expectations for the Wisconsin native right out of the gates.
Last season, Baldwin made the Braves’ Opening Day roster with Sean Murphy set to miss a few weeks with a cracked left rib. Murphy has once again started the season on the injured list after getting surgery for a labral tear in his right hip, but there was no doubt Baldwin would be getting a bountiful share of the catching duties this year, no matter the circumstances.
He got off to a slow start in 2025, but after getting his bearings, Baldwin has been in a groove with the bat. First-year Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss has him slotted in the lineup’s two-hole, behind Ronald Acuña Jr. and in front of Matt Olson, displaying confidence in the young backstop while also giving him protection at the top of the order.
Baldwin’s already proved to be one of the more consistent and reliable hitters in a potent Braves lineup that can be as lethal as any in baseball. If Baldwin continues to produce, he could be representing the NL in the All-Star game and even take home a Silver Slugger Award at the end of the season, as he continues to cement himself as Atlanta’s catcher of the future and one of the best backstops in baseball.
