Baldwin's star rising 'like night and day'

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NORTH PORT, Fla. -- What was it like for Drake Baldwin to come to Spring Training knowing he now stood as the Braves¡¯ top prospect, and more importantly, knowing he might get his first taste of the Majors at some point this year?

¡°I definitely didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be in this spot three years ago,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool.¡±

Baldwin has made great strides since the Braves selected him in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The 23-year-old catcher has spent the past couple of years proving his value extends beyond his bat. In the process, he has established himself as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 63 overall prospect.

When the 2025 Braves Top 30 Prospects list was released Monday, Baldwin sat in the top spot. He ranked No. 11 entering the 2024 season, but his stock soared after he batted .298 with 12 homers and a .891 OPS over 334 plate appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett.

With Sean Murphy set to begin the upcoming season on the injured list with a cracked left rib, there is a chance Baldwin will open the campaign as Atlanta¡¯s starting catcher.

¡°He¡¯s awesome,¡± Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson said. ¡°I could stand here all day and talk about him. He¡¯s so good in the locker room, and he loves being around the field. He¡¯s one of the first guys to show up and one of the last guys to leave. I think that goes a long way for that position. He can hit. He¡¯s probably one of the better hitting prospects I¡¯ve seen.¡±

The baseball world got a glimpse of Baldwin¡¯s hitting skills when he hit an opposite-field home run during last summer¡¯s Futures Game. The 411-foot shot came off his bat at 107.3 mph and was the game¡¯s hardest-hit ball.

¡°He hits good fastballs better than I¡¯ve seen most people do,¡± Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver said. ¡°I remember watching him last year, and it seemed like the harder the fastball we faced, the harder he hit it. He¡¯s always been very impressive in the box. He¡¯s got a bunch of juice, but he¡¯s just an overall good hitter. He¡¯s just not someone you want to face. He¡¯ll take his knocks, and he¡¯ll also take you over the fence.¡±

Baldwin didn¡¯t show a lot of swing-and-miss while constructing a .484 slugging percentage at the Triple-A level last season. His 16.2 percent strikeout rate was just a tick above his 15.6 percent walk rate.

As Anderson and Smith-Shawver spent most of last season with Triple-A Gwinnett, they also saw Baldwin improve defensively.

¡°It¡¯s night and day from when he first got called up to Triple-A until now,¡± Smith-Shawver said. ¡°It just takes time, especially with catching. I like the way he¡¯s been able to manage a staff, call a game and receive. All of those things. He¡¯s coming along. It¡¯s been fun to see.¡±

Braves veteran starter Reynaldo L¨®pez felt comfortable when Baldwin served as his catcher during Sunday¡¯s game against the Yankees.

¡°The way he has been framing and receiving has been very impressive,¡± L¨®pez said.

Baldwin likely won¡¯t be brought to the Major Leagues until there is a clear opportunity for him to play regularly. He¡¯s not going to play just one or two days a week with Sean Murphy serving as Atlanta¡¯s primary catcher, but if Murphy were to get injured or extend last season¡¯s struggles, the Braves¡¯ top prospect would be just a call away.

Even after an 0-for-3 performance during Sunday's 11-1 win over the Yankees, Baldwin has gone 4-for-12 with a double, three walks and two RBIs in six Grapefruit League games. He enjoyed a three-hit game against the Marlins on Friday.

¡°He¡¯s improved,¡± manager Brian Snitker said. ¡°He¡¯s gotten better over time. You can see what everybody is talking about.¡±