Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin quickly made a name for himself since entering the big leagues. In his first MLB season, he was named the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year. This season, he’s continuing to build on that success in year two.
Baldwin became the first catcher to win the Rookie of the Year award since Buster Posey won the award in 2010 with the San Francisco Giants. Baldwin can have a similar impact with the Braves that Posey had with the Giants; that’s how talented Baldwin is.
Can Drake Baldwin Have Buster Posey Type Impact On Braves
Posey spent his entire career with the Giants, playing 12 seasons and garnering many accolades during his time with San Francisco. He was a seven-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champ, an NL MVP, a Gold Glove winner, and a Silver Slugger winner multiple times.
Posey put together an impressive resume during his MLB career and had a major impact on the game. Baldwin is showing a lot of promise early on in his career, and he and Posey already have something in common, which is winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Atlanta Braves Catcher And MLBbro Drake Baldwin Wins 2025 NL Rookie of the Year
Posey and Baldwin are built similarly, with Posey weighing in at 6-foot-1, 213 pounds during his 12-year career and Baldwin currently standing at 6-0, 220 pounds. Posey had pop but he wasn’t a prolific power hitter, logging 20 plus homers just twice. It was his all-around hitting, high average and ability to put the ball into the seats, when necessary, that made him special. Posey also drove in runs at a high rate. Same as Baldwin.
In addition, there haven’t been many National League catchers in history with the offensive talent that Posey’s had. Baldwin definitely is showing that kind of potential.
Manager Walt Weiss Says Drake Baldwin Is A ”Special Hitter”
Baldwin has shown that he knows what it takes to have success on the big stage. He’s a player who can make an impact at the plate on offense and when he’s behind the dish. This season, he’s hitting over .300 through 29 games while ranked second on the team in home runs (7) and tied for first in RBI (25).
Braves manager Walt Weiss knows how talented Baldwin is at the plate
“This is a special hitter,” Weiss said. “It’s one of those swings that there’s a lot of margin for error with his swing because it’s in the zone for so long. It’s line to line.
“It’s high contact with power. You know, and those are the special hitters.”
The sky’s the limit for Baldwin, and he has an opportunity to do something special during his time with the Braves. There’s no question he deserved the Rookie of the Year award last season, and he’s continuing that success in year two, which says a lot about the kind of player he is and how much he wants to succeed in this game.
“It’s still kind of surreal right now,” Baldwin said after winning the award. “It was just an incredible year, and I’m super excited it ended this way.
“You think you know what it takes to be a catcher in the big leagues, with not only hitting but also controlling a pitching staff and learning how to help them, but then you do it,” Baldwin said. “It’s pretty cool to be a catcher and do this.”
If Baldwin can continue to have the success he’s having, he can definitely have a similar impact to Buster Posey. Baldwin is the type of player who has all-star talent and can help his team compete for a World Series title. The Braves have something special in Baldwin, and it will be exciting to watch how he progresses over the next few years.
