Coming into the 2024 season, the Braves farm system was ranked among the worst in baseball. That’s been the case for the last several years due to trades and graduations, yet this is a system that still consistently pumps out major-league talent year after year, a testament to the organization’s ability to draft and develop under Alex Anthopoulos.
The depth at the lower levels may not be apparent, but the Braves have had a number of prospects perform well above expectations to this point in the season. Most notably, Spencer Schwellenbach began the year in High-A and now looks like he’ll be a permanent fixture in Atlanta’s rotation for years to come. Shortstop Nacho Alvarez is another riser that fans are hoping to see sooner rather than later, given the struggles of Orlando Arcia, but one name that’s beginning to pop up more and more is catcher Drake Baldwin, who was the Braves representative at Major League Baseball’s Futures Game yesterday.
Baldwin and Alvarez were both drafted in 2022. Baldwin in the third round and Alvarez in the fifth, and the two have been attached at the hip throughout the minors. Both began this season in Mississippi, and they were promoted to Gwinnett at the same time. The promotions were somewhat unexpected, because it’s not like either player was tearing the cover off the ball in AA. They had four home runs total between them and neither had an OPS above .650, but whatever they are feeding the guys in Gwinnett, it’s working.
Alvarez’s tear with the Stripers has been well documented, but Baldwin’s been just as productive, if not more productive. In 24 games, he’s hitting over .300 with six long balls and a .972 OPS. A trend that continued in yesterday’s Futures Game, as Baldwin crushed an opposite field homer, which was the hardest hit ball of the afternoon at over 107 MPH.
Drake Baldwin goes yard!
The @Braves' No. 11 prospect belts the hardest hit (107.3 mph) of the #FuturesGame.
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/L1EdMRWjpq pic.twitter.com/bg67iHnTtq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 13, 2024
Prior to the homer, Drake Baldwin also lined out on a ball that was hit just as hard. MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked as the Braves 11th best prospect, but as I like to point out, MLB Pipeline isn’t very good at keeping up with prospects.
Drake Baldwin is well inside the Braves top 10 prospects and has a case to be the top prospect in the organization. Catchers aren’t typically known for their bats, but he can do it all offensively, with his power to all fields being his most impressive trait. By the end of the season, don’t be surprised if a lot of prospect outlets start referring to him as a top 100 prospect in all of baseball. He’s been that good this season, and it may not be long before we see Drake Baldwin in Atlanta.
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