Drake Baldwin with one hit in loss to D-Backs

Atlanta’s lead is back up to five games in the NL East. The Braves scored once in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. Both teams then scored single runs in the 10th before the Braves bested the Phillies 2-1 in the 11th, with Ha-Seong Kim delivering a line-drive single to tie the game prior to Baldwin’s walkoff. The Braves won the game without the DH, as Baldwin moved from there to catcher after Sean Murphy was lifted for a pinch-runner.

Baldwin turned on a sinker low and in from Griffin Jax for a 419 foot moonshot in the fourth inning. Otherwise, the Braves struggled to get anything going against Jax or the Rays’ bullpen. Nevertheless, that was Baldwin’s 23rd home run of the season to go along with 71 RBI, a .271 batting average, and .805 OPS as one of the most productive catchers in the game.

Baldwin ambushed the first pitch that Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw in the home half of the first inning, crushing a splitter for a 402-foot (106.2-mph EV) solo shot that gave the Braves an early 1-0 advantage. That would be the lone tally for either squad in the game. The 25- year-old backstop finished the night 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. He’s now hitting .274/.356/.456 with 22 long balls and 66 RBI in what has been an impressive offensive campaign.

Baldwin’s second double was hit 105 mph and would have been a homer in four ballparks. It’s his first multi-RBI game since Aug. 5 and first with multiple extra-base hits since July 19. He had hit .229/.282/.302 in his previous 24 games.

Dropping Baldwin from the top of the order against lefties seems like the right call. Harris is sort of a surprising choice to lead off against a lefty, but he has been pretty successful against them this year, hitting .281/.319/.468. Harris has been batting cleanup against righties and fifth or sixth versus lefties.

Baldwin is hitting .244/.280/321 in August, and his season OPS fell under .800 today. The Braves could try moving him down a few spots in the order until he resumes doing a better job of getting on base. The occasional day off against a lefty wouldn’t be a bad idea, either; he’s been in the Braves lineup as a catcher or DH every game since June 24.

Baldwin’s home run was his 21st of the season. He hit a solo shot off Zebby Matthews in the sixth inning. Baldwin is 18-for-54 (.333) with one home run and six RBI over his last 13 games. He’s hitting .278 with an .820 OPS and 63 RBI on the season.

Baldwin got the scoring started with an RBI single in the bottom of the third before swiping second base to remove the double-play threat. The 25-year-old has put together a remarkably similar campaign to his rookie year, validating his strong debut. The difference this season has been playing time. Baldwin has started every game since June 26, mostly hitting in the top two lineup spots, which is rare for a catcher. He’s the most valuable backstop in dynasty formats and will come off the board as one of the top options at the position in 2027 redraft leagues.

Baldwin’s two-run single capped off a three-run second inning that gave the Braves all the breathing room they’d need in a win over the Marlins. That pushed him to 59 RBI through just 91 games this season while a good chunk of his games have come as a lead-off hitter. He also has 20 home runs and a .272/.363/.462 slash line as he’s emerged as one of the best young hitters in the game.

Not only is Acuña Jr. at the top of the lineup, but he’s right back into the outfield, which is a great sign for his health. Drake Baldwin will DH this game and hit second, with Joey Bart starting behind the dish and hitting eighth.