CBS Sports Names Braves Drake Baldwin as Potential Fantasy Bust

The Atlanta Braves plans for its lineup could hurt his stock for the upcoming fantasy baseball season

Baldwin and Sean Muprhy together is great for the Braves, but not for fantasy | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have no shortage of top fantasy baseball candidates in 2026. Throughout the offseason, CBS Sports’ Chris Towers, a fantasy baseball analyst, has detailed many Braves players that he thinks will be solid fantasy candidates, as well as others that he doesn’t think will be as valuable on a fantasy lineup.

In his latest piece, Towers lists Braves catcher Drake Baldwin as a potential fantasy bust candidate in 2026, despite Baldwin netting Rookie of the Year honors in 2025.

“Even in a more stacked catcher landscape than I can remember for Fantasy, Baldwin's skill set stands out,” Towers said. “I'm just not sure his playing time does. [The Mike Yastremski] signing likely moves Jurickson Profar to a full-time DH role, and that makes it tough to project Baldwin for the kind of playing time some of the true difference makers at the catcher position can get.”

This begs the question for fantasy owners and Braves fans alike: what will Drake Baldwin’s part be with the Braves in 2026? Towers believes that Baldwin will be the Braves’ top catcher in 2026, though he also believes the Braves will be averse to sitting Sean Murphy often, as the team will spend over $12 million on him in 2026.

A possible outcome is that the Braves rotate Murphy and Baldwin at catcher, use Yastremski as their left fielder and move Jurickson Profar, who’s struggled defensively, to the full-time DH spot, which would significantly harm Baldwin’s fantasy production.

Notably, Murphy is coming off a hip injury that required surgery and isn’t confirmed to be available for Opening Day. Even if Murphy can play at the start of the season, we’ve seen in recent years how difficult it is to get back to pace after rehabbing all offseason. This could open the door for Baldwin to see significantly more at-bats earlier in the season as Murphy regains his footing.

New Braves manager Walt Weiss has explicitly stated that he’s looking to get Baldwin more involved in 2026, so we could see the young catcher filling the DH role when Murphy is catching, depending on how the Braves decide to structure that role with the addition of Yastremski.

Likely, Weiss will rotate Baldwin, Murphy, and Profar at DH in 2026, with one catcher starting and the other in the DH spot or on the bench. Either way, it’s unlikely that Baldwin will be a day-to-day starter in 2026, so though he’s worth a draft spot, he may be best suited as a late pick that fantasy managers can keep an eye on throughout the season.

One thing is for sure, though: Baldwin hasn’t struggled with any lack of production, so fantasy owners and Braves fans can be confident that when Baldwin plays, he’ll be an invaluable piece. He’ll just have to find his way in the lineup first.