Atlanta Braves rookie Drake Baldwin surprised everyone in 2025. It looked like he had been playing professional baseball all of his life. An injury to Sean Murphy at the beginning of the season unexpectedly thrust him into a starting role.
This helped Atlanta get a very good look at what their top prospect could do in the big leagues and it could not have gone much better for Baldwin. His discipline and approach at the plate were outstanding. Defensively, there are some improvements to be made, but overall, he did a fine job.
That impressive season led to Baldwin being one of the favorites to win NL Rookie of the Year. He slashed .274/.341/.469 with 19 home runs, 80 RBI, and a 125 wRC+. Baldwin's 80 RBI were also the most among all NL rookies.
A season like that really drives home just what kind of player the Braves have on their hands. Baldwin could easily be in the starting lineup for a decade if he keeps this up. He will have to prove during his sophomore season that it wasn't a fluke.
MLB's latest rookie ranks greatly undervalue Drake Baldwin's impact
MLB Pipeline recently released its ranking of the top 10 best rookies based on long-term value. There are a lot of talented players on the list, and they're all deserving. However, Baldwin is dead last on the list.
The rookie talent in 2025 was off the charts 📈@MLBPipeline ranked the top 10 rookies from this season based on their long-term value 👀 pic.twitter.com/TxizlYH7yI
— MLB (@MLB) November 8, 2025
These lists are extremely subjective, and every fan is going to have plenty of reasons for why their favorite should be higher on the list. However, with that being said, Baldwin being last seems to be very short-sighted.
Baldwin plays at a premier position and has already shown an incredible aptitude for hitting at an elite level. His defense isn't too far behind either. The baseball IQ is very obvious, and Atlanta may have found their franchise catcher.
Baldwin's value goes beyond the field as well. Baldwin is a very good teammate and has a great clubhouse presence. Braves ace Chris Sale has been singing Baldwin's praises since spring training. Sale also recently spoke on 680 The Fan and stated what we all know, which is that Baldwin should be the NL Rookie of the Year.
His value is at least top five among all MLB rookies. It's rare to find a catcher that can perform that well on both sides of the ball. 2026 will be Baldwin's chance to show everyone why he is one of the most valuable players in baseball.