Drake Baldwin's insane hot streak is masking struggling Braves bats (for now)

We have seen Atlanta Braves players go on heaters before, but even by that standard, what Drake Baldwin is doing right now is impressive. After going 2-3 with a single. a double, a walk, and four runs driven in, Baldwin was easily the driving force of the Braves' 5-1 win on Wednesday alongside Chris Sale and brought his season OPS up to 1.196, which is pretty insane. The one out he recorded? That would have been a home run had Denzel Clarke not stolen it with a catch over the fence.

In short, Baldwin somehow looks like an improved version of himself over last year, which, given that he took down the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2025, is no small feat and should have the rest of the league treading lightly when pitching to him for the foreseeable future.

However, what Baldwin's hot start has also done is mask some slow starts from key Braves stars. That may seem like bad news, but it does make one wonder what this Atlanta offense is going to look like once guys get going.

Drake Baldwin and a few other Braves have been great, but this offense could be special if others get going

Admittedly, Baldwin has not been the only shining light on offense for the Braves thus far. Surprisingly, Dominic Smith has looked great when he has been in there, and Mauricio Dubon has a .917 OPS somehow. In terms of the guys that Alex Anthopoulos brought in this past offseason, the early returns have been pretty strong.

Now at 4-2, the Braves have been winning without some of their best players contributing very much. Ronald Acuña Jr. has been walking plenty, but the batted ball luck has not been kind, and he seems to be pressing early this season. Austin Riley has chipped in a little bit here and there, but his .571 OPS leaves a lot to be desired. Any hopes that Michael Harris II would become a patient hitter, given what we saw this spring, have been dashed for now, as he is scuffling once again. Even Matt Olson, who has been "fine", hasn't really looked like his true self yet.

Of course, Baldwin's dominance will only cover up these shortcomings for so long. Even if he keeps this up (which is almost impossible), these other guys are going to have to step up if Atlanta has any hope of getting back to the postseason. Still, what Baldwin is doing is a lot of fun right now, and it is even more fun to think about what could happen if everyone starts firing on all cylinders.