Braves prospect could replace Atlanta veteran with a great 2024

The Atlanta Braves may have their first homegrown catcher since Brian McCann working their way through the minors

Lindsay Crosby | Feb 3, 2024

The Atlanta Braves have had mixed success with catching prospects in recent years.

Sure, Brian McCann was a franchise great, one who came up through the organization and eventually finished his Hall of Very Good career back in Atlanta after stops in New York and Houston. Promising young catchers Shea Langeliers and William Contreras (who was a better DH than catcher) were both traded away to acquire stars in Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, respectively.

For the most part, the Braves have lived with veteran signings or trade acquisitions behind the plate since McCann's original stint with the team, with imports like Travis d'Arnaud, Kurt Suzuki, AJ Pierzynski, Tyler Flowers, and now Sean Murphy being "the man".

Drake Baldwin, our #11 prospect, might be able to change that.

Baldwin, 22, made it through three levels of Atlanta's farm system last season, opening the season in High-A Rome and finishing up in AAA Gwinnett. All he did along the way is bat .270 with 16 homers and put up one of the better fielding percentages in the Braves system, with a .991 in his 74 games behind the dish.

With a lefty swing, above-average power (a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105.1, above the MLB average of 103.2), and heading to major league spring training as a non-roster invitee, now's the time for Baldwin to seize his opportunity.

Drake Baldwin with a 🚀!! His first Double-A home run!!

📏: 432 feet, 107 exit velo pic.twitter.com/qlRQGs8cFx
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) September 15, 2023

With Travis d'Arnaud now 34 and on the final season of his contract (although Atlanta does hold an $8M club option for the 2025 season), there's an opportunity for Baldwin to establish himself as the future sidekick to starter Sean Murphy, who is entering year two of a six-year pact signed shortly after being traded to Atlanta prior to last season and is cemented as the unquestioned starter for the next half-decade.

It's not a done deal, though, as Baldwin still has some development points to improve. His performance against spin has been only fair, with breaking balls down and away being a particular weakness so far in his minor league career. But making contact at a 75% clip last season, with a particular affinity for hitting fastballs, means that the floor of the hit tool is high and there's hope that he can become a starting-caliber backup, similar to the current Murphy/d'Arnaud dynamic.