Drake Baldwin

Active

Atlanta Braves · Catcher

Age 256' 0" · 225 lbsBats Left

#74 Current#73 Preseason#30 Dynasty

FBaseball Overview

Coming off a stellar rookie season that earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors, Baldwin enters 2026 as Atlanta's primary catcher with established power production and run-scoring upside. His 2025 campaign demonstrated both consistency and pop—nineteen home runs and eighty RBI across 405 at-bats—though his 2026 numbers show signs of regression in average (.255 versus .274) and power output (14 HR in 231 AB). For fantasy purposes, Baldwin offers mid-tier run and RBI production as a full-time backstop, with realistic upside to approach 15-20 home runs and 75+ RBI over a full season if he can stabilize his batting average back toward his rookie form. The main risk is whether the sophomore slump is temporary or signals declining efficiency, but his age and pedigree suggest he remains a viable source of corner value in 2026 fantasy rosters.

News Updates

Drake Baldwin's leadoff homer rarity in Braves win
Catcher Drake Baldwin homered in the leadoff spot for the Atlanta Braves in their 1-0 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday. The solo shot proved to be the game-winning run, marking a rare occurrence of a catcher batting leadoff and hitting a leadoff home run.
Aug 28, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2025	Atlanta Braves	124	446	405	.274	19	80	56	0	68	.341	.469	.810
2026	Atlanta Braves	123	543	484	.277	23	71	77	3	117	.354	.452	.806
Career	Totals	247	989	889	.276	42	151	133	3	185	.348	.460	.808

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2022	2 teams▼	24	111	89	.258	0	9	15	1	25	.396	.315	.711
2023	3 teams▼	109	476	400	.270	16	61	63	0	98	.384	.460	.844
2024	2 teams▼	124	551	468	.276	16	88	58	2	95	.370	.423	.793
2026	Gwinnett Stripers	1	3	3	.333	1	1	1	0	0	.333	1.333	1.666
Career	Totals	258	1141	960	.272	33	159	137	3	218	.379	.431	.810

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 MLB

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Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg91.5 mph

Max EV112.8 mph

Launch Angle11.0°

Barrel %12.6%

K %21.7%

Hard Hit %50.8%

Sprint Speed25.9 ft/s

Bat Speed75.3 mph

Whiff %25.1%

Chase %33.8%

xBA0.275

xSLG0.488

xwOBA0.363

GB%44.8%

FB%25.7%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2025

Atlanta Braves

124

446

405

.274

.341

.469

.810

2026

Atlanta Braves

123

543

484

.277

117

.354

.452

.806

Career

Totals

247

989

889

.276

151

133

185

.348

.460

.808

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2022

2 teams▼

111

.258

.396

.315

.711

2023

3 teams▼

109

476

400

.270

.384

.460

.844

2024

2 teams▼

124

551

468

.276

.370

.423

.793

2026

Gwinnett Stripers

.333

1.333

1.666

Career

Totals

258

1141

960

.272

159

137

218

.379

.431

.810