Braves select top prospect Baldwin after breakout spring
The Atlanta Braves' catcher of the future is heading north.
Drake Baldwin, the Braves' top prospect, was selected to Atlanta's major-league roster Friday following a stellar spring performance, the team announced.
Baldwin burst through the door to emerge as the Braves' likely Opening Day catcher after Sean Murphy sustained a rib injury early in spring training. In 14 Grapefruit League games, he hit .313/.436/.375 and took seven walks while striking out just twice over 39 plate appearances.
The 23-year-old was Atlanta's third-round draft pick out of Missouri State in 2022. Baldwin continued his ascent through the Braves' system last season by hitting .276/.370/.423 with 16 homers and 88 RBIs over 124 total games split between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. He then put up a .942 OPS in the Arizona Fall League.
Baldwin will presumably be backed up by veteran Chadwick Tromp - the only other active backstop on the Braves' 40-man roster - to start the season. Veteran catcher James McCann, who joined Atlanta on a minor-league deal last week, will begin his season in Triple-A.
Murphy is expected to return from his rib injury at some point in April.
In addition to Baldwin, the Braves selected right-handed relievers Enyel De Los Santos and Héctor Neris to the active roster.