Braves Top Prospect to Catch Chris Sale's Next Start

The Atlanta Braves top prospect gets his first major assignment following the injury to catcher Sean Murphy

Baldwin gets a big call to catch the team's ace | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves top prospect and catcher Drake Baldwin will be behind the dish for Chris Sale's upcoming start on Tuesday.

Baldwin will be catching when Chris Sale starts against the Twins on Tuesday

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 3, 2025

This move coincides with the announcement that starting catcher, and Sale's usual catcher, Sean Murphy is expected to miss four to six weeks with an injury.

It's a substantial update. The Braves aren't opting to see how one of the veterans in camp will work with the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. The young guy is getting the first shot. Up to this point, Baldwin had been the designated hitter in the lineup while Murphy and others were catching.

Baldwin would need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to get a spot on the Opening Day roster.

It will make for a nice test for Sale too. While he pitched well with all catchers last season, he was especially dominant when paired up with Murphy. Sale had a 1.68 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in 13 starts with Murphy as his catcher. If Sale clicks with Baldwin, the prospect will put himself in the driver's seat to make the Opening Day roster. He just needs to keep it up at the plate.

In 15 Spring Training plate appearances, Baldwin has a slash line of .333/.467/.417 with a double and two RBIs. 

A lot of hype has built up around Baldwin since the middle of last season.

Last season, he represented the Braves in the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend. He reached Triple-A for the first time late in the year and that’s where he truly began to stand out.

In 72 Triple-A games, Baldwin batted .298 with an .891 OPS, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .407. He showed solid plate discipline with a 16.2% strikeout rate. He had nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54).

That run late in the year earned him the honor of being the Braves Minor League Player of the Year according to Baseball America. He’s also implied to now be the Braves top prospect on MLB.com. The team’s top 30 isn’t out yet, but he’s the highest-ranking Braves prospect in the top 100. 

Baldwin shined even brighter in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. In 13 games with the Peoria Javelinas, he slashed .377/.452/.491 with one home run, three total extra-base hits and nine RBIs. He struck out just nine times over 62 plate appearances (14.5%).