ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Originally unsure if he’d make the team out of spring training, Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin has been named the the Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Baldwin received 21 of 30 first-place votes.
The 24-year-old led all NL rookies with a minimum of 100 games played in RBIs (80), batting average (.274), OPS (.810) and slugging percentage (.469).
Baldwin is the first Brave to win the award since Michael Harris II in 2022 and the 10th overall. That ties the New York Yankees for second-most Rookie of the Year awards in baseball, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 18.
He’s the second Braves catcher in franchise history to win Rookie of the Year, following Earl Williams in 1971.
Chicago Cubs right-hander Cade Horton and Milwaukee Brewers’ Caleb Durbin were finalists along with Baldwin. Horton finished second in the race after receiving nine first-place votes.
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz won the American League Rookie of the Year.
Baldwin didn’t expect to make Atlanta’s Opening Day roster out of spring training. But after veteran Sean Murphy began the season on the injured list, Baldwin took over behind the plate.
The Missouri State product quickly exceeded expectations, posting a .389 batting average and 1.003 OPS in May, a performance that earned him NL Rookie of the Month honors.
Baldwin led all NL catchers in stolen bases allowed with 88, but his defense improved over time, giving manager Brian Snitker the task of splitting duties between Baldwin and Murphy. Snitker occasionally rotated the pair between catcher and designated hitter so the ailing Marcell Ozuna could rest.
Baldwin’s play earned the respect of catchers around the league. Seattle Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh called him a “gamer.”
Baldwin’s 19 home runs are the second-most hit in a single season by a Braves rookie catcher. The record belongs to Williams, who launched 33 homers in 1971, the same year he earned NL Rookie of the Year honors.