Is Baldwin the future of the Braves?
Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin went 2-for-3 with a leadoff home run, two RBI and a walk in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park.
The Braves dropped to 31-15, but Baldwin was one of the few bright spots on a night where Atlanta's bats went quiet after the first inning.
Manager Walt Weiss was pretty direct about what he's seeing from his 25-year-old catcher after the game.
"Drake... it doesn't matter where you put him," Weiss said. "That's a tough at-bat against that guy especially left on left. Yeah, Drake's doing some special things."
Baldwin Keeps Raking
Saturday's leadoff blast was Baldwin's 13th homer this year, and seven of those have come against left-handed pitching.
Most lefty hitters struggle in those matchups. Baldwin is destroying them, which makes him a nightmare to plan for.
Through 46 games he's slashing .304 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 56 hits while carrying the best offensive numbers among Braves regulars.
He won NL Rookie of the Year last season after hitting .274 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI, and somehow the second year has been even better.
His OPS has climbed from .810 to above .900, and the Statcast data supports it with a 92.3 mph average exit velocity and 51.8 percent hard-hit rate.
The Murphy Factor
Atlanta still has Sean Murphy locked in through 2028 on a six-year, $73 million deal with a $15 million club option for 2029.
That is serious money tied to a catcher who just has not been able to stay healthy.
Murphy was limited to 72 games in 2024 because of an oblique injury, then a fractured rib and torn hip labrum cut his 2025 short.
Now he's back on the 10-day IL with a fractured left middle finger, and there's no clear timeline for his return.
Baldwin, though, has grabbed the everyday job behind the plate and hasn't let go.
The Braves have been smart about mixing in DH days to keep him fresh, but every time he's in the lineup he produces.
Looking Ahead
Baldwin still has four years of team control remaining after this season, and the Braves front office has talked openly about wanting to keep him around long term.
GM Alex Anthopoulos said recently they expect Baldwin to be in Atlanta for a long time, even if no formal extension talks have been publicly announced.
Atlanta holds the best record in baseball at 31-15, and Baldwin is a huge part of that.
Murphy's contract will play out, but the catching job in Atlanta already belongs to Baldwin.
That much feels settled at this point.