NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Eddie Perez was nearing the end of his playing days when he recommended the Braves bring a Double-A catcher named Brian McCann to the big leagues. Twenty years later, he is mentoring someone who has a chance to become Atlanta¡¯s next great catcher.
¡°[Drake Baldwin] reminds me of Brian McCann a lot,¡± said Perez, who fills multiple roles as a Major League coach on Atlanta¡¯s staff. ¡°Brian was a great hitter and he needed to work hard as a catcher, with his receiving and throwing. He became one of the best. I see this kid the same way. He¡¯s learning, and he likes to learn.¡±
This already has the makings of being a special year for Baldwin, who ranks as baseball¡¯s No. 62 prospect and the Braves' No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The defensive strides he has made have positioned him to become a big league mainstay, possibly as early as this year. In other words, his time on Atlanta¡¯s roster might not be limited to the week or two he spends as the primary catcher while Sean Murphy begins the season on the injured list with a cracked left rib.
Baldwin started at catcher and hit an RBI single in the Braves' 5-3 loss to the Nationals on Friday.
¡°He¡¯s going to have a great season, either here or in the Minor Leagues,¡± Perez said. ¡°But we need him now. He¡¯s our guy now, and I¡¯m happy about it. When Murph got hurt, I was like, ¡®Oh God.¡¯ But now I¡¯m not afraid to see [Baldwin play]. I¡¯m not afraid to put him in there and try to win games, because that¡¯s what he can help you do.¡±
Braves manager Brian Snitker was the Double-A Mississippi skipper who had the pleasure of telling McCann he was heading to the Majors after Johnny Estrada was sidelined by a concussion a couple months into the 2005 season.
¡°I told [former Braves manager] Bobby [Cox] you¡¯re not going to want to give this guy back, and he didn¡¯t,¡± Snitker said.
McCann earned seven All-Star selections over the eight full seasons (2006-13) he spent with Atlanta. He homered off Roger Clemens during his first career postseason at-bat during Game 2 of the 2005 NLDS. He was also a more polished prospect than Baldwin.
But Baldwin¡¯s desire to improve has helped create confidence that he¡¯ll be ready whenever called upon this year.
¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± Snitker said. ¡°I¡¯ve been very impressed. There¡¯s a lot to digest as a young catcher in today¡¯s game with the game planning and knowing our guys. Our pitchers have been good about talking to him about their outings. He¡¯s going to be OK.¡±
Chris Sale and Reynaldo L¨®pez have both extended a vote of confidence after recently throwing to Baldwin. There¡¯s never been any doubt about the 23-year-old catcher¡¯s ability to hit. He showed his offensive potential last year when he constructed a .891 OPS over 334 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. His opposite-field power was seen with the home run he hit at the 2024 Futures Game.
But Baldwin is no longer considered a bat-only catcher. His throwing strength significantly improved with a mechanical alteration that keeps him from flying open with his throws. His overall understanding of the position has been aided by 36-year-old catcher Sandy Le¨®n, who is back in Atlanta¡¯s camp after spending last summer with the young catcher at Triple-A.
¡°I was worried before Spring Training,¡± Perez said. ¡°I was thinking we¡¯d have to work a lot on throwing and receiving. But he¡¯s surprised me big time. He¡¯s not bad.¡±
When Murphy returns from the injured list, the Braves could send Baldwin to Triple-A to further develop. But there¡¯s also a chance they would opt to keep him at the big league level even if he was playing just once or twice a week. The aim would be to give him a chance to get a better feel for game calling, while being around Murphy, Perez, the big league starting pitchers and analytics staff.