Drake Baldwin wins National League Rookie of the Year

Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Nov 10, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin won the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year award, which was announced Monday evening on MLB Network.

Baldwin, 24, hit .274 with an .810 OPS in 124 games while drawing rave reviews for his work with the team’s pitching staff. His play and maturity appeared beyond his years throughout the campaign, and now he’s acknowledged for it.

The backstop earned the honor over Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton and Milwaukee Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin, receiving 21 of 30 first-place votes.

Baldwin is the Braves’ 10th Rookie of the Year winner since the franchise relocated to Atlanta in 1966. He was preceded by Earl Williams (1971), Bob Horner (1978), David Justice (1990), Rafael Furcal (2000), Craig Kimbrel (2011), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) and Michael Harris II (2022).

The Braves endured a disappointing 76-win season, but Baldwin was continuously a bright spot. The team needed him immediately after veteran catcher Sean Murphy was injured in spring training. Manager Brian Snitker and team leader Chris Sale then expressed confidence that Baldwin could handle increased responsibilities. It was a testament to how he’d carried himself in spring and his ascension of the past year.

In July 2024, Baldwin homered in the Futures Game during All-Star week, bringing national attention to his rise. Baseball America named Baldwin its 2024 Braves prospect of the year after he hit 276/.370/.423 with 16 home runs in 124 games across Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.

Still, he wasn’t expected to make the Braves’ initial roster if for no other reason than playing time. The team was committed to giving Murphy a more substantial workload. It saw a future for Baldwin, though, especially given that the president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, had resisted including Baldwin in trade talks for higher-profile players.

Baldwin ultimately made the club out of necessity. He then performed to a level such that even the thought of a demotion was foolish.

Baldwin had a .731 OPS over his first 17 games, but he emerged in May. He hit .389 with a 1.003 OPS in 19 games, often the most productive bat in a slumping lineup. Baldwin had a .741 OPS in June and held steady with consecutive .800 OPS months before finishing September and October with a .801 mark in 24 games.

Snitker compared Baldwin with respected former Braves catcher Brian McCann on multiple occasions, citing the early maturity and offensive prowess. Indeed, Baldwin has the chance to be the club’s best homegrown backstop since McCann.

There’s a case that outside of All-Star first baseman Matt Olson, Baldwin was the club’s most consistent performer. And he achieved it while exhibiting steady improvement defensively, an area that was once deemed subpar and became solid by season’s end.

Baldwin has routinely credited Murphy and beloved Braves coach Eddie Perez for his major league development. He’s lauded veteran Sandy Leon for guiding him during his growth in Triple-A a year ago.

Baldwin finished with 19 homers, 18 doubles and 80 RBIs in his debut season. The Braves now have an opening at designated hitter where they could alternate Baldwin and Murphy, among others, instead of committing to one player as they’d done in the past. However they proceed, Baldwin is an integral part of this lineup and a foundational player for the franchise moving forward.

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