Atlanta Braves rookie Drake Baldwin has emerged this season, and almost everyone has taken notice. Baldwin has led in the Rookie of the Year polls for most of the season, but he's faced some competition over the last couple of months.
First, it was Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski who burst onto the scene, flashing his 100+ mph fastball and wicked breaking ball. This quickly gained him a lot of attention in the ROY race. However, that has cooled off some as he is currently on the IL with a shin injury.
Despite that, another Brewers rookie has appeared as legitimate competition for the Braves' catcher. Isaac Collins had an incredible series against Atlanta as he was 6-for-10 with a double, triple, home run, and five RBI.
You probably aren't familiar with Collins, and that's because his first half was good, but nothing over the top. However, he has turned things on in the second half with a .391 average through 17 games with a triple, two homers, four doubles, 14 RBI, and a 201 wRC+.
Baldwin didn't have a great series against Milwaukee, but it seems seeing Collins play out of his mind lit a fire under him as he was a huge part of Atlanta's win over the Marlins on Thursday night. Baldwin was 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI.
Great morning for some ROTY highlights 😎#LocalFordDealer | #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/DuUPb8So2N
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 8, 2025
Drake Baldwin's monster game against Marlins has him make in driver's seat for NL Rookie of the Year
He has gone through mini-slumps a few times this season, but they never last very long. His consistency through the season is why he is seen as a favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year. The second half is off to a great start as Baldwin is batting .313 with an .871 OPS.
Baldwin success over the season is going to help propel him into being a top candidate for NL Rookie of the Year if trends hold. Atlanta's rookie phenom is slashing .287/.356/.484 with 11 doubles, 13 homers, 46 RBI, and a 136 wRC+.
However, one of the most impressive things about his game is his ability to get on base. Baldwin owns an impressive 8.5% walk rate and the ninth-lowest strikeout rate among all MLB rookies at 17%.
While Baldwin remains the favorite, he cannot afford to stumble at all if he hopes to take home ROY honors. Collins' late surge will surely make it an interesting race to the end of the season and there is always a chance others (Misiorowski, Caleb Durbin, Agustin Ramirez) could make things interesting as well.