Description
Drake Baldwin is a top catching prospect for the Atlanta Braves. Baldwin was drafted in the 3rd Round (86th Pick) of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. Baldwin played college baseball for Missouri State. He’s the highest Bear to be selected since Jeremy Eierman was taken by the Oakland Athletics in the second round with the 70th overall pick in 2018.
Baldwin showed flashes during a pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign that lasted 17 games. He followed in his sophomore year by earning second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors while batting .291 and having a perfect fielding percentage in league play. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder then followed it up with a junior season that caught the attention of scouts from across the country. He had his best season in a Bears uniform, batting .341 with 19 home runs and 70 RBI and leading Missouri State into postseason play for the first time in his career.
In 2023, Baldwin excelled in the Atlanta Braves minor leagues playing 92 games for Rome, 14 for Mississippi and 3 for Triple-A Gwinnett. The 22 year old hit .270 with 16 HR’s, 61 RBI’s, a staggering .384 OBP and .844 OPS. The sky is bright for the Atlanta Braves prospect!
In 72 Triple-A games in 2024, Baldwin batted .298 with an .891 OPS, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .407. He showed solid plate discipline with a 16.2% strikeout rate. He had nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54). This performance earned him the honor of being named the Braves Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Baldwin’s profile is the contact rates. Not only does he rank in the 98th percentile (AAA) for 90th percentile exit velocity and average exit velocity, but he’s also making contact at a 93% clip. He was the team’s representative in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game back in July when he was still in Double-A Mississippi.
Baldwin was the lone Atlanta Braves representative at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game. Last year, the Braves sent RHP Spencer Schwellenbach who has been great as of late for the major league club. Baldwin was the DH for the NL squad and hit ninth in the lineup. In three plate appearances, he went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. The first RBI came from a sacrifice fly off of Astros RHP prospect A.J. Blaubaugh. The second RBI was a solo home run into left-center field that put the NL Futures team up 5-1.
The ball left Baldwin’s bat at 107.3 MPH, making it the hardest-hit ball of the game. Yes, Baldwin’s opposite-field homer was the hardest-hit ball in a game that was filled with the world’s most talented baseball prospects. It also traveled 411 feet, making it the furthest-hit ball of the game. Baldwin was already making a name for himself among Braves Country but his performance in the Futures Game is going to introduce a whole new audience to the slugger!!
The featured official South Atlantic League Minor League Baseball was signed by Atlanta Braves Prospect Drake Baldwin. The talented catcher is currently a member of the Gwinnett Stripers. The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The talented hitter has signed the Baseball and added “2023 Post Season All Star” in blue. Baldwin was named an All-Star in 2023 for his stellar season with Rome with 14 HR’s, 54 RBI’s and an .854 OPS. The Baseball was obtained from former Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves Prospect Cesar Rodriguez. This Baseball was practice used in the South Atlantic League. Awesome and unique signed Baseball from one of the Braves Top Prospects!
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