Drake Baldwin

Last updated
Drake Baldwin
Atlanta Braves – No. 30
Catcher
Born: (2001-03-28) March 28, 2001 (age 24)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
March 27, 2025, for the Atlanta Braves
Men's baseball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
WBSC Premier12
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Tokyo Team

Drake Randall Baldwin (born March 28, 2001) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025.

Contents

Amateur career

Baldwin attended Madison West High School in Madison, Wisconsin, where he played baseball and ice hockey. [1] As a junior in 2018, he led the state of Wisconsin with 43 goals scored. [2] In hockey, Baldwin was a center and left wing. [3]

Baldwin enrolled at Missouri State University to play college baseball. He played in 17 games during a shortened season in 2020, and then played 43 games in 2021, batting .291 with four home runs and 24 RBI. [4] During the summer of 2021, he played in the Northwoods League for the Madison Mallards and batted .316 with four home runs over 52 games. [5] Baldwin became a strong prospect for the upcoming draft as a junior in 2022, in which he hit .341 with 19 home runs and 70 runs batted in over 60 games. [6] [7]

Professional career

Baldwin was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round with the 96th overall pick of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. [8] [9]

Baldwin made his professional debut in 2022 with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Braves and also played with the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets, hitting .258 over 24 games. He opened the 2023 season with the High-A Rome Braves, was promoted to the Double-A Mississippi Braves in late August, before later being promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers in September. [10] Over 109 appearances split between the three affiliates, Baldwin slashed .270/.384/.460 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI. [11] He opened the 2024 season with Mississippi and was promoted to Gwinnett in June. [12] Baldwin was selected to represent the Braves in the All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field. [13] [14] After the minor league regular season ended, Baldwin was named to the preliminary roster of the Arizona Fall League's Peoria Javelinas, [15] and to the United States's roster for the 2024 WBSC Premier12. [16]

On March 21, 2025, the Braves selected Baldwin's contract after he made the team's Opening Day roster. [17] [18]

Personal life

Baldwin's mother Bridgette is a teacher. [19]

References

  1. ↑ "High-scoring Drake Baldwin propels Madison West's postseason hockey hopes". AP News. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  2. ↑ "Prep Mania Profile: Drake Baldwin". ESPN.com. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  3. ↑ Chiles, Mary Ellen (May 30, 2024). "Madison to Missouri to Mississippi: Drake Baldwin is catching on". Springfield Daily Citizen. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Year in Review: Here are the southwest Missouri athletes who defined 2022". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  5. ↑ "Baseball: Trio of Verona grads, Madison West standout to play for Mallards". fitchburgstar.com. 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  6. ↑ Scranton, Lyndal (2022-05-06). "Drake Baldwin is leading from behind the plate for MSU Bears". Springfield Daily Citizen. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  7. ↑ "Keith Gutin never saw Drake Baldwin before signing him. Now he's MSU's next MLB prospect - Business News". 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  8. ↑ STAFF, STATE JOURNAL (2022-07-20). "Madison area grads Drake Baldwin, Alan Roden picked in MLB draft". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  9. ↑ Wheeler, Wyatt D. "Atlanta Braves select Missouri State's Drake Baldwin in 3rd round in 2022 MLB Draft". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  10. ↑ "Baldwin's big week leads to SAL award". Northwest Georgia News. 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  11. ↑ "Drake Baldwin Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Jack (July 2, 2024). "Stripers' Drake Baldwin Selected to 2024 NL Futures Game Roster". MILB.com. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  13. ↑ Johnson, Jack (July 2, 2024). "Stripers' Drake Baldwin Selected to 2024 NL Futures Game Roster". MILB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  14. ↑ Bowman, Mark (July 8, 2024). "No. 11 prospect owes Futures Game nod to Braves' backstops". MLB.com. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ Callis, Jim; Dykstra, Sam; Mayo, Jonathan (September 25, 2024). "Here are the 2024 Arizona Fall League rosters". MLB.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  16. ↑ Trezza, Joe (October 21, 2024). "Four Top 100 prospects named to Team USA Premier12™ tournament roster". MLB.com. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  17. ↑ Bowman, Mark (March 21, 2025). "Top prospect Baldwin on Braves' Opening Day roster: 'No question he's ready for it'". MLB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  18. ↑ O'Brien, David (March 21, 2025). "Top prospect Drake Baldwin makes Braves' opening roster; Chris Sale says kid is ready". The Athletic. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  19. ↑ Toscano, Justin (March 21, 2025). "Braves catcher Drake Baldwin on making opening-day roster: 'It's something you dream of'". Atlanta Journal Constitution.
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