Black MiLB Players #21: C Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

Drake Baldwin has the skills and tools to usurp Sean Murphy as the Atlanta Braves full-time catcher for the mid-to-late 2020s

Introduction + Path to Professional Baseball

Drake Baldwin is a 23-year-old catcher in the Atlanta Braves organization from Madison, Wisconsin. The Braves organization has been one of the best at developing catchers during the 2010s and 2020s, and Baldwin is the latest example of this trend. He was drafted in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Missouri State University after three years as a bat-first catcher. He posted a .318/.426/.549 slash line across 120 career collegiate games.

His professional career started during the 2022 MiLB season with a brief assignment to Atlanta’s Rookie-level and Low-A affiliates. Baldwin played at three different levels during his first full MiLB season in 2023, starting at High-A and reaching Triple-A. He went .270/.385/.460 in 476 plate appearances across 109 games with 26 doubles and 16 home runs. The Missouri State product’s all-around performance firmly established him as one of the top prospects in his position group.

Baldwin appeared in 124 games with Atlanta’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates for the 2024 season. He struggled during his stint in Double-A, going .244/.313/.337 across 52 games before his mid-season promotion to Triple-A. He bounced back during his 72-game tenure in Gwinnett, going .298/.407/.484 with 13 doubles and 12 home runs. He later dominated the 2024 Arizona Fall League with a .377/.452/.491 slash line.

Player Profile

Drake Baldwin is 5’11’’ and weighs 210 pounds, possessing the stereotypical build for a catcher. He has a chiseled, bulky upper body with thick thighs. He is slightly undersized for a catcher but has the tenacity and physicality to remain a full-time catcher

Hitting

Baldwin is a left-handed hitter who stands in the box with a slightly open stance and his hands held perpendicular to his ear. He works with an all-fields approach and is comfortable with letting the ball travel deep in the zone before swinging. His approach at the plate relies on his above-average power and exceptional on-base skills, which date back to his time at Missouri State. Throughout his Minor League Baseball (MiLB) career, he has experienced significant success against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers, showing reverse splits during the 2024 season.

He frequently makes hard contact whenever he swings, but a caveat to his raw power is the high amount of ground that his current swing produces. His ability to make contact is above average, but he will be a .260-.280 hitter in MLB. Baldwin has routinely worked with BB/K ratios between .60 and .75 during his time in professional baseball, which leads me to believe he will post solid on-base percentages at a minimum. It wouldn’t surprise me if Baldwin led all players in his position group in walks drawn during an individual season or across multiple seasons.

Fielding

Baldwin is an average defender behind the dish and has made huge strides since joining the Atlanta Braves organization. He has worked with multiple coaches and the Braves major league catchers during the offseason between 2023 and 2024. His game-calling aptitude and framing ability are not bad by any means but don’t particularly stand out either. He is an average pitch blocker despite being slightly undersized and not having much agility or athleticism in his toolbox. His arm is slightly below average in raw strength but he makes up for it with a fast transfer due to his use of a one-knee setup and his quick hands.

Conclusion

Drake Baldwin has the tools and skills to usurp Sean Murphy as the primary catcher for a relatively youthful Braves team that is looking to win another World Series during the 2020s. While he is poised for a backup role over the next few seasons, it will be interesting to see how the Braves front office manages having Murphy and Baldwin on the same 25-man roster. With Baldwin and Murphy’s noted rapport, it gives the Braves arguably the best backstop duo across MLB in quite a long time. The nature of the position and Sean Murphy’s injury history make the idea of Baldwin as a top-tier backup even more sensible.