Braves Drake Baldwin's Rookie of the Year Case Only Getting Stronger

The rookie catcher has been a top storyline for the Atlanta Braves since the All-Star Break as he begins the final push for the top rookie honor in baseball

Another big night from Baldwin adds another piece to the resume | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Drake Baldwin had another monster night at the plate that made the difference between the Atlanta Braves being blown out by the Marlins and coming back to win the game 8-6. 

He went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs in the winning effort. A couple weeks ago, he became the first Braves rookie in 20 years to have five RBIs in a game, and he’s already gone out there and repeated that performance. 

Big moments aren’t something he’s shied away from this season, and the veteran-level poise and patience allowed him to deliver. 

Baldwin felt that having the number of experienced ballplayers around him has been key to his doing what he has so early in his career. 

“I think it’s a lot of just watching the guys, some of the veterans around the team,” he said after Thursday’s game. “See how they go about their day-to-day things and just how they get their work in and how they get their routines in.”

Having the coaching staff keep him in check hasn’t hurt either. It’s a long season with “ups and downs,” as he put it, and having that support helps. 

Baldwin’s efforts, even when he wasn’t playing every day, earned him the National League Rookie of the Month honors for May. He went through a cold spell after that, but he has been playing his best baseball yet since then. 

In 18 games since the All-Star Break, Baldwin is batting .313 with a .871 OPS with two home runs and 14 RBIs. 

He’s been strong behind the dish, too. Multiple notable starters on the team, including Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider, have lower ERAs when Baldwin is catching for them versus Sean Murphy. 

It’s helped catapult him back to the top of the National League Rookie of the Year conversation. 

“He fits the bill. He’s right there in all the categories for sure,” Snitker said about Baldwin’s case for Rookie of the Year. “I think at the end of the year, he keeps going like this, it won’t surprise me a bit.”

ESPN has Baldwin as the runaway favorite for the National League rookie honor alongside Nick Kurtz for the American League honor. A lot can change over the last two months of the season, but if he can keep this up, he stays in the driver's seat for the award. 

It’s not an award he’s pushing to win. He’s just out there every day looking to get the job done, but that mindset is why he has the chance he has to take home the award.