Drake Baldwin wins National League Rookie of the Year

“It went by pretty quick with how fun it was,” Baldwin said of his first season. “The amount of really good guys with the Braves who make it worth going into the locker room every single day and going out there and having a lot of fun playing baseball - I don’t know if I’ve wrapped it up completely yet. I’ll probably have to wrap up this award as well and realize what it means. It’s just surreal right now. It was just an incredible year.”

Baldwin is the Braves’ eighth Rookie of the Year winner since the franchise relocated to Atlanta in 1966. He was preceded by Earl Williams (1971), Bob Horner (1978), David Justice (1990), Rafael Furcal (2000), Craig Kimbrel (2011), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) and Michael Harris II (2022).

The Braves endured a disappointing 76-win season, but Baldwin was continuously a bright spot. The team needed him immediately after veteran catcher Sean Murphy was injured in spring training. Manager Brian Snitker and team leader Chris Sale then expressed confidence that Baldwin could handle increased responsibilities. It was a testament to how he’d carried himself in spring and his ascension of the past year.

In July 2024, Baldwin homered in the Futures Game during All-Star week, bringing national attention to his rise. Baseball America named Baldwin its 2024 Braves prospect of the year after he hit 276/.370/.423 with 16 home runs in 124 games across Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.

Still, he wasn’t expected to make the Braves’ initial roster if for no other reason than playing time. The team was committed to giving Murphy a more substantial workload. It saw a future for Baldwin, though, especially given that the president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, had resisted including Baldwin in trade talks for higher-profile players.

Baldwin ultimately made the club out of necessity. He then performed to a level such that even the thought of a demotion was foolish.

Baldwin had a .731 OPS over his first 17 games, but he emerged in May. He hit .389 with a 1.003 OPS in 19 games, often the most productive bat in a slumping lineup. Baldwin had a .741 OPS in June and held steady with consecutive .800 OPS months before finishing September and October with a .801 mark in 24 games.

Snitker compared Baldwin with respected former Braves catcher Brian McCann on multiple occasions, citing the early maturity and offensive prowess. Indeed, Baldwin has the chance to be the club’s best homegrown backstop since McCann.

There’s a case that outside of All-Star first baseman Matt Olson, Baldwin was the club’s most consistent performer. And he achieved it while exhibiting steady improvement defensively, an area that was once deemed subpar and became solid by season’s end.

Baldwin has routinely credited Murphy and beloved Braves coach Eddie Perez for his major league development. He’s lauded veteran Sandy Leon for guiding him during his growth in Triple-A a year ago.

“You just kind of start to realize you’re facing Cy Young contenders and you’re like, ‘I’m going to have a good at-bat,” Baldwin said. “You get comfortable - I don’t know about comfortable - but you start to get more comfortable catching Cy Young guys like Sale. We have such a good staff here. You start to realize you’re on the same level as them, I guess.”

The award win earns the Braves a PPI draft pick (Prospect Promotion Initiative). The team gains the No. 28 overall selection, the cherry on top of Baldwin’s victory. It’s a notable addition not only because it gives the Braves an opportunity to add another coveted talent to their farm system, but the extra pick could make it easier for the Braves to part with a draft selection in signing a free agent that received a qualifying offer.

Baldwin finished with 19 homers, 18 doubles and 80 RBIs in his debut season. The Braves now have an opening at designated hitter where they could alternate Baldwin and Murphy, among others, instead of committing to one player as they’d done in the past.

However they proceed, Baldwin is an integral part of this lineup and a foundational player for the franchise moving forward.

The Braves will celebrate Baldwin’s award with an NL Rookie of the Year bobblehead at Truist Park on March 31. Single-game tickets go on sale Friday.

Correction

This story has been updated. Drake Baldwin is the Braves’ eighth Rookie of the Year winner since 1966.