Braves' Pair Projected as 'Most Likely' Rookies to Make 2025 Impact

The Athletic's Keith Law didn't have a very high opinion of the Atlanta Braves farm system when he ranked all 30 teams this offseason. But he apparently thinks a lot more of the top two prospects in the Braves organization.

On Feb. 24, Law ranked the top 25 MLB rookies most likely to have an impact on the 2025 regular season. The Braves were one of just six teams to have two rookies on the list.

Law ranked pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver at No. 16 while catcher Drake Baldwin came in at No. 19.

"I do think Smith-Shawver will get an opportunity to make enough starts this year to 1) have an impact and 2) lose his prospect eligibility, which at this point would only require 16 innings or about two weeks on the active roster," wrote Law.

Law admitted that Smith-Shawver's initial impact for the Braves could be in the Atlanta bullpen. As for Baldwin, though, Law sees him as ready for a significant role.

"Baldwin is ready to be an everyday catcher in the majors," Law wrote. "If he had a job waiting, he’d be in the top five on this list, but 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.

"If he gets hurt again, it’s an easy call to give Baldwin the playing time."

The only team who had more players on Law's list of top 25 impactful rookies were the Chicago White Sox. The Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Milwaukee Brewers were the other four clubs with two rookies on Law's list.

Depending on how one views Law's list will greatly influence the impact one expects from the pair of Braves rookies. While neither Smith-Shawver or Baldwin were in Law's top 15, they were both in the top 20. The Tigers, Red Sox and White Sox were the only other teams with multiple rookies in Law's top 20 on the list.

The likelihood of making an impact doesn't necessarily measure it's potential significance. For example, Smith-Shawver was ranked higher on Law's list even though it's quite evident Baldwin is the better prospect. Smith-Shawver is "more likely" to make an impact, though, because of Atlanta's need in the starting rotation.

Still, it's hard not to be excitetd about Law including both Smith-Shawver and Baldwin on his list. Other than Jurickson Profar, the Braves didn't add any significant free agents during the offseason. But Atlanta could receive a boost from its farm system both in the lineup and on the mound.