He acted like a big-leaguer as soon as he got here.
Braves veteran Pierce Johnson on rookie catcher Drake baldwin
ST. LOUIS — A 10:45 a.m. catcher’s meeting in the Atlanta Braves clubhouse took up roughly 30 minutes of Drake Baldwin’s morning before the rookie dressed down and made his way to the Busch Stadium turf.
There was no need for the ex-Missouri State slugger to slip into his usual protective gear on July 12, the second of a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Sean Murphy — a 2023 All-Star and 2021 Gold Glove-winner — was given the start behind the plate.
Baldwin occupied the dish the previous evening in what’s become one of the most compelling storylines of an otherwise underwhelming 2025 Braves campaign.
When a spring training injury put Murphy on the 30-day disabled list, it vaulted Baldwin, a 2022 third-round draft pick, into the Braves’ opening-day starting lineup for his MLB debut. He appeared to be a placeholder until the club’s $15 million-per-year talent was cleared to return.
Four months later, Baldwin has not only remained on the Braves’ 26-man roster, he’s in contenton for National League Rookie of the Year.
With 53 hits, 32 RBI, 11 home runs and a .279 batting average, the 24-year-old has become increasingly more comfortable against big-league arms. Defensively, he carries a veteran’s poise, helping earn National League Rookie of the Month in May.
Drake Baldwin extends the @Braves lead in the 9th with a 3-run dinger 💪 pic.twitter.com/mnC6dmLph3
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2025
Braves manager Brian Snitker now has the chore of getting both Murphy and Baldwin into the lineup. In a 6-5 win at Busch Stadium on July 11, Murphy was put into the designated hitter spot and a hit a pair of home runs as Baldwin batted in the middle of lineup, going 2 for 4 with an RBI.
“It was a weird start to the year, so I wasn’t really expecting this,” Baldwin said of his Year 1 impact. “But Murphy had that injury. Numbers-wise, it was a little bit of a rough start to the year, but I thought I was playing well and knew it would turn around. I believed in myself and the coaches put confidence in me to keep doing what I was doing and trust what I was doing, and it paid off.”
Baldwin and Murphy have combined for 24 home runs, No. 2 in the MLB among catchers. Murphy has been on a recent power surge, hitting seven homers in the past 11 games, including a pair moonshots at Busch on Friday that were the longest of the season in the stadium.
Catcher. Designated hitter. Pinch-hitter. Baldwin has embraced each role.
“Balls have started to fall for me and go over the fence,” Baldwin said. “Now that Murphy is back, he has helped me a ton with the daily grind of helping the pitching staff.”
MSU ties in veteran clubhouse
Former Missouri State Bear Pierce Johnson spent a year pitching in Japan before returning to the major leagues. (Kevin Liles/Atlanta Braves)
As Baldwin was cutting his professional baseball teeth in 2023 with a Braves minor-league affiliate, he made it a point to link up with one of his primary college coaches, Joey Hawkins.
Hawkins, who would be promoted to Missouri State’s head coach two years after Baldwin was drafted, met up with his former catcher to watch another former Missouri State star, 2012 first-round draft pick Pierce Johnson, throw a couple innings for Atlanta.
Hawkins and Johnson were teammates at MSU, and Baldwin had heard all about the strong-armed right-hander during his time in Springfield.
Two years later, Hawkins watched from the Busch Stadium stands as Johnson pitched a scoreless inning to Baldwin in the Braves’ July 11 win. The rare Missouri State MLB battery wasn’t lost on Baldwin.
“It was cool to be back in Missouri and to catch (Johnson),” he said.
Johnson sees a rookie beyond his years.
“He acted like a big-leaguer as soon as he got here,” Johnson said in the Braves’ clubhouse, a few lockers down from Baldwin. “It’s hard for younger guys to fit into an older clubhouse, especially from his perspective around the pitching staff and serve quality (at-bats). But he’s done all of that with flying colors.”
Spring training and road trips with the two Missouri State products have come with an exchange of funny stories from their respective tenures.
“We both say that was one of the best decisions we ever made because we enjoyed it so much down in Springfield,” Johnson said.
Each enjoyed their share of Missouri Valley Conference success under then-head coach Keith Guttin. Hawkins now leads the Bears into a new frontier as MSU joins Conference USA next season.
Baldwin is confident MSU will continue its winning ways in what appears to be a brawnier college baseball conference.
“It’s an incredible coaching staff there,” Baldwin said. “I’m excited to see how they do in Conference USA. They had a great run in the (Missouri Valley regular) season last year, so I think they’ll keep it rolling.”
Braves were patient with Baldwin early
Drake Baldwin collected plenty of accolades in his time at Missouri State before joining the Atlanta Braves’ organization in 2022. (Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles)
A former hockey standout in his home state of Wisconsin, Baldwin was considered somewhat of a late bloomer in baseball before signing with Missouri State.
By his junior season, he was among the best two-way players in the country, helping the Bears reach the 2022 NCAA Tournament before becoming the 96th overall pick in the MLB Draft later that summer.
He swiftly ascended through the rungs of the Braves’ organization, reaching AAA Gwinnett in Year 2. By 2024, he was the organization’s lone representative in the MLB Futures Game.
“It’s kind of a dream going through the minors quickly,” Baldwin said. “A chance just opened up for me (with the Braves) this year.”
It came with some some initial offensive woes, but Baldwin said his hitting coaches were patient.
“A lot of good people in this organization,” Baldwin said. “From the coaches to the veterans, they lead by example and don’t get too high or too low. Always the same people in the clubhouse, no matter if they’re succeeding or struggling. It creates a good atmosphere and makes it fun to want to come play ball every day.”
Johnson continues to see Baldwin’s development. The veteran reliever’s praise continued.
“It’s been cool to see how mature he is from a catcher’s standpoint,” Johnson said. “A rookie coming up here to just hold his own and do such a phenomenal job. It’s been a saving grace, because (Murphy) is one of the best in the game, and Baldwin held it down until (Murphy) got back.”
Ryan Collingwood covers college and high school sports in the Springfield metropolitan area for the Daily Citizen. Have a story idea or gripe? Send an email to rcollingwood@sgfcitizen.org, call or 417-837-3660, or follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood. More by Ryan Collingwood