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Braves' Drake Baldwin snubbed for Silver Slugger award, and he only has himself to blame

ByEric Cole
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Oct 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) reacts with pitcher Chris Sale (51) after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Oct 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) reacts with pitcher Chris Sale (51) after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the start of the 2026 season, it seemed like Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin was about to put together a truly special season at the plate. Through May 18, Baldwin was the proud owner of a .303/.389/.543 line with 13 home runs. To that point in the season, it looked like he would be in the conversation for NL MVP. Unfortunately, that isn't what happened at all, and as we now see with the reveal of the finalists for the Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger Awards, Baldwin's 2026 season became an afterthought.

The Silver Slugger Awards are given to the top hitters at each position on the field for both leagues (other than pitchers, who no longer hit at all) as voted on by MLB managers and coaches. While Baldwin looked like one of the safest bets to be, at minimum, a finalist for the Silver Slugger at catcher, he did not make the cut this time, as Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman and Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno were the two finalists in the National League at catcher.

Drake Baldwin fell short of a Silver Slugger finalist nod, but the Braves catcher's decline allowed that snub to happen

On paper, Baldwin remained a really strong candidate for Silver Slugger at catcher. Amongst National League catchers, Baldwin finished second in wRC+ (126) and second in fWAR (3.3), so what gives? Well, a combination of bad luck and a mediocre showing for several months of the season proved to be very costly to Baldwin's case.

Part of Baldwin's issue is that he missed out on some counting stats that would have helped his case amongst a voting bloc that may or may not be as dialed into advanced metrics for players outside their teams as you would like. In mid-May, Baldwin suffered an oblique injury that put him on the shelf for a month. Upon his return, Baldwin played pretty well, but a .756 OPS over the 2026 season's final 90 games wasn't exactly an overwhelming performance at the plate. That ultimately allowed Goodman and his 41 homers to steal a finalist spot, and allowed other catcher candidates (such as former Brave William Contreras) to possibly siphon off votes from Baldwin.

Given just how good Moreno was this year, Baldwin may not have won even if he kept hitting as he did at the start of the season. However, Baldwin made this race closer than it should have been with his drop-off after he returned from the injured list. Yes, there are real arguments why Baldwin's lack of Silver Slugger finalist recognition is a true snub here, but that is what happens when you let awards races get close.

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