PHILADELPHIA – Braves catcher Drake Baldwin knew he was starting for the National League All-Star team, but didn’t know he would be hitting ninth in the order until a media member informed him of the lineup on Monday afternoon.
It’s been a while since Major League Baseball saw a Black catcher start an All-Star game. The last to do so was Earl Battey in 1965. He was with the Twins when he started for the American League.
“It’s kind of crazy to hear that,” Baldwin said. “There aren’t many African-American catchers. I’m able to show kids that they can get into that position. Hopefully, there are more of them. (Catcher) Vahn Lackey went third overall (with the Twins in the 2026 MLB Draft). That’s cool.”
Baldwin is having a season that would encourage Black boys to put on the tools of ignorance. During the first half of the season, he had a slash line of .254/.345/.437 with 15 homers and 46 RBI.
Baldwin will be the first to tell you that it wasn’t smooth sailing in ‘26. Starting in mid-May, he spent almost a month on the 10-day Injured List because of a grade 1 right oblique strain. At the time of the injury, Baldwin had that Midas touch in the batter’s box, hitting .303 with a slugging percentage of .543.
“I was really happy at the start of the year,” Baldwin said. “I felt pretty good catching behind the plate. I felt good hitting. I was getting used to that role. You get into your routine. I felt really comfortable with those routines.”
But once he was activated from the IL on June 16, Baldwin couldn’t buy a hit. For the rest of the month, he went 3-for-48 (.063) with one RBI. He was searching for hits rather than taking a good approach at the plate and trying to hit the ball hard. He even acknowledged that he lost some confidence, saying to himself, “I don’t want to hit.”
Baldwin talked to anyone and everyone – from teammate Matt Olson to hitting coach Tim Hyers – to get out of his hitting funk. Baldwin would even call relatives just to get his mind off the game. Eventually, Baldwin did well enough in July to be voted as a starter in this year’s All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard.
“It was a little tough coming back (from the injury). It was definitely a struggle,” Baldwin said. “Talking to the guys on the team, they told me, ‘We’ve all experienced this.’ It felt like I was on an island by myself. They told me I had to take it day by day and try to get better each day. I feel a little bit better now coming back from that injury. It was a good learning experience.”
Drake Baldwin Cementing Himself as One of the Best Catchers in Baseball
Now it’s time for Baldwin to focus on the Midsummer Classic. Baldwin will be behind the plate when Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez throws the first pitch. Baldwin is happy to be his batterymate rather than face him in the batter’s box. Keep in mind that Baldwin is 3-for-6 against the left-hander.
“Starting an All-Star game, I never thought I would really do it. It’s really tough to wrap your head around it. I don’t think I have yet,” Baldwin said. “It will hit me when I run out (on the field). It’s going to be pretty special.”
