<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/why-braves-drake-baldwin-will-win-nl-rookie-of-the-year-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Atlanta-Braves-catcher-Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T14:38:00-07:00">September 10th, 2:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T14:38:00-07:00">September 10th, 2:38pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves are less than 20 games away from finishing off a disappointing regular season. There are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-why-brian-snitker-expected-retire">rumors flying around that Atlanta’s manager, Brian Snitker, could retire</a>. While there are a lot of negatives to take away from the season, Drake Baldwin is not one of them. He, Isaac Collins, and Cade Horton are the favorites to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award.</p><p>Baldwin started the season as the second-string catcher behind Sean Murphy for the Braves. However, he did not stay in that position for very long. When Atlanta was fully healthy, Baldwin quickly became a good enough batter to split time with Marcell Ozuna at the Braves’ designated hitter. His breakout season could cement him as Atlanta’s catcher of the future already.</p><p>Looking at the NL ROY race, it is much more difficult to decide on a front-runner than in the American League. Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz is the favorite in the AL thanks to a dominant second half of the season. In the NL, though, there is not a player who has stood out from the rest for the majority of the year. However, Baldwin deserves to have an edge over his competition.</p><p>As a hitter, Baldwin is far and away the best NL rookie. The fact that he plays <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-austin-riley-offense-nl-wild-card">on a struggling Braves team</a> is not his fault and should not be held against him when determining a deserving winner. Having steady production at the plate has helped the Atlanta offense find some amount of consistency amid a strange season. His presence played a big role in that improvement.</p><p>Comparing Baldwin to his competition is tough. Collins plays in the outfield while Horton pitches for the Chicago Cubs. Despite that, here is why Baldwin should win the award.</p><h2>Baldwin has been the most well-rounded rookie this season</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Braves-catcher-Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When rookies break onto the scene in after their first taste of Major League Baseball, it is often because of their offensive talent. Baldwin is not an exception to that rule, but the fact that he can both hit and play good defense behind home plate brings a new level of value to Atlanta. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-catcher-gets-100-real-on-increased-role">Braves rewarded Baldwin with a bigger role</a> early in the season, and he has not looked back once.</p><p>As a catcher, hitting <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/4810190/drake-baldwin" rel="noopener">.273/.344/.443</a> is good regardless of experience or situation. The fact that Baldwin was able to do that as a rookie should play a role in the conversation about the top rookies in the game. His dominance at the plate combined with the fact that he is a plus defender as a catcher is impressive. Without him, there is no telling where the Braves’ season might have gone.</p><p>Earlier this year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-trade-deadline-strategy-anthopoulos-2025">Atlanta made the decision not to trade its key players</a>. However, Baldwin might cause a change in that strategy. He and Murphy have formed a fun one-two punch for the Braves, but the veteran catcher is no longer an essential piece for Snitker and the front office to keep around this winter. Baldwin changed the way Atlanta approached its long-term plans.</p><p>Having a player like Baldwin at his disposal is a gift for Snitker. On a team with stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, role players that can get on base and hold things down as injuries happen are crucial. Baldwin was not able to single-handedly turn the Braves’ season around, but he showed his future value. As he develops, the catcher is unlikely to fizzle out at the plate.</p><h2>Baldwin’s feats are not as loud, but they are just as impressive</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Dale Zanine</figcaption></figure><p>Looking at the way award races are judged in the modern era is fascinating. The right players often win the awards each season, but the growth of social media gives highlights much more weight. Compared to the other two NL ROY candidates, Baldwin does not have the peaks that his opponents enjoyed. However, a lack of attention should not work against his case to win.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rookie-makes-franchise-history-scoreless-streak">Horton’s scoreless inning streak got a lot of attention</a>. Additionally, Collins made headlines with a walk-off home-run to win a game for the Milwaukee Brewers. Baldwin, though, does not necessarily have a crowing moment to hang his hat on when the season ends. However, that should not stop the Braves rookie from earning consideration on the same level of his peers.</p><p>With the regular season winding down, Baldwin winning the award would mean a lot for the Braves. A slow offensive start for the team did not stop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-drake-baldwin-emerges-as-nl-roy-betting-favorite-after-smith-shawver-injury">Atlanta’s rookie from emerging as the NL ROY favorite</a> early in the season. He should have the edge over the competition, joining Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II as the current Braves to win the award.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-drake-baldwin-emerges-as-nl-roy-betting-favorite-after-smith-shawver-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Drake Baldwin emerges as NL ROY betting favorite after Smith-Shawver injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Drake-Baldwin_bf3599.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brett Davis</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Drake Baldwin emerges as NL ROY betting favorite after Smith-Shawver injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-29T15:04:44-07:00">May 29th, 3:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-29T15:05:28-07:00">May 29th, 3:05pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves are in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/mlb-news-braves-phillies-thursday-doubleheader-weather-postponement">middle of a doubleheader</a> against the Philadelphia Phillies in the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies took Game 1 on Tuesday and then Game 2 early on Thursday. Game 3 and the finale will be starting in under an hour. Chris Sale will take on Zack Wheeler.</p><p>What happened during Game 1 of the DH puts the Braves in a very tough position. AJ Smith-Shawver, a rookie starting pitcher, has arguably been the top hurler for the Braves this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-starters-exit-phillies-scary-moment">Smith-Shawver left the game after apparently hearing a “pop”</a> in his arm. The right-hander has already been placed on the 15-day IL, and the Braves <a href="https://x.com/Braves/status/1928190292814929930" rel="noopener">called up Michael Peterson to fill the void</a>.</p><p>Smith-Shawver had been tearing up the MLB this season. In nine starts, the rookie is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. The sportsbooks took notice, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-2-rookies-surpass-marlins-star-as-nl-roy-betting-favorites">Smith-Shawver became the odds-on favorite</a> to win National League Rookie of the Year.</p><p>Smith-Shawver’s teammate and catcher, Drake Baldwin, <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb?tab=awards" rel="noopener">now takes over as the betting favorite</a> to win the award. He is currently +220 to win. Marlins’ catcher Agustin Ramirez is second at +350, and Matt Shaw is third at +700.</p><p>Baldwin or Ramirez would be the first catcher in the NL to win ROY since Buster Posey did so in 2010 for the San Francisco Giants.</p><p>This season, Baldwin is putting together elite plate appearances. Ahead of the series finale, he is batting .337 with five homers, 15 RBIs, and a .912 OPS. Furthermore, the catcher has 33 hits, four doubles, walked seven times, and has only K’d up 15 times in 98 ABs. Last Saturday against the San Diego Padres, Baldwin smashed three singles and even walked once. He has yet to start a game in the series against Philadelphia but is back in the lineup for the finale.</p><p>The rookie has been batting second in a deep lineup for the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. leads off, followed by Baldwin, Marcel Ozuna, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies. Those six batters are as deep as any team in the league offensively.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.276	14	60	0.801	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.276	14	60	0.801	0

Drake Baldwin

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Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award

Braves’ Drake Baldwin emerges as NL ROY betting favorite after Smith-Shawver injury

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