3 Atlanta Braves prospects land on Fangraphs' list of names to know in 2024

Drake Baldwin

Taken in the third round of the 2022 draft, Drake Baldwin was a catcher with good raw power and a decent showing behind the plate. Coming from Missouri State, Drake made his professional debut in 2022 and spent time at the Braves Complex as well as A-ball. While he got off to a slow start in his professional career he still put up an astounding 17.8% walk rate which made him someone to keep an eye on for 2023.

2023 came and went for Drake and it was overall a resounding success. He played across three levels, spending 92 games at A+ ball in Rome where he hit .260/.385/.466 and showed off improved power, to the tune of 14 homers and 54 RBI before being promoted to Double-A Mississippi.

At Double-A, facing much more polished pitchers, Drake still put up a 10.2% walk rate and improved his strikeout rate once again bringing it down to 18.6% while still accumulating a 117 wRC+ and a line of .321/.390/.396. It was also in Mississippi where Drake showed much improvement behind the plate. He showed great confidence in calling games and cemented himself as a catcher with potential plus power which is a potential luxury for Atlanta.

2024 will be a fascinating year for Drake because if he shows continued improvement at the plate while also gaining more confidence behind the plate you have yourself an extremely intriguing catching prospect.

If his strikeout rates hold steady around 18% and his walk rate continues to stay around the 10% range you have yourself a very intriguing backup option for Sean Murphy heading into 2025, or a very interesting prospect that the Braves can utilize in a deadline trade for Alex Anthopoulos.