Drake Baldwin Poised for Strong Sophomore Season with Braves

Another year, another time that Drake Baldwin is locked in as the starting catcher out of the gate for the Atlanta Braves. This time around, he's been there before. He's not being thrown into the fire to see what can work.

So far, he looks poised for a strong follow-up in his sophomore campaign. In eight spring training games played, he's batting .308 with an .885 OPS, a home run, four total extra-base hits and five RBIs. He's got speed for a catcher, too. He's not stealing bases, but he legged out a triple.

All his stats are ahead of where he was last spring. Take that for what it's worth. It's spring training, but it's worth the note.

In the 10-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, he went 2-for-3 with a double. That extra-base knock came off the bat at over 107 mph.

Drake Baldwin LINEDRIVE DOUBLE!!💯

107.6 mph
13 deg
.830 xBA#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/NlfSjt3ilr
— Eric Yu (@Eric35_Yu) March 14, 2026

With his awareness behind the dish, you'd think he had a second pair of eyes scanning the field. Right after blocking a Bryce Elder pitch in the dirt, he corralled the ball and threw a dart to third base to nab a runner trying to advance.

Baldwin is seeing action toward the top of the order. They went from struggling to figure out how to fit him in to having him up to see action early at the plate. It's not often you get an option who is strong defensively, but can also hit high up in the lineup.

Baldwin is coming off a campaign that earned him the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He batted .274, with an .810 OPS, 19 home runs and 80 RBIs. He has been clutch both in the lineup and off the bench. One of his defining moments of the season came when he was a late-game substitute.

This upcoming season, he'll start as the primary catcher, then he'll platoon with Sean Murphy once he is healthy. However, this time around, he'll be able to see more action as a designated hitter. Frustrations over his bat being out of the lineup will be put to rest.

The two catchers, but some rotation options in the outfield, will be tasked with manning the DH position with the departure of Marcell Ozuna. Baldwin had solid numbers against both right-handed and left-handed pitching. He has the flexibility to fit in regardless of whoever else is penciled into the lineup.

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