The Atlanta Braves dropped a tough 4-3 decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night, falling to 17-19 with the loss. The win moved the Reds to an even .500 at 19-19 thus far.
Despite the loss, there were some good things for the Braves, who continue to play better after a dreadful 0-7 start. Rookie Drake Baldwin, the top prospect in the organization, went 2-for-3 with a home run. It was also the first time he’s homered off a lefty in the big leagues, as he took Brent Suter deep.
Drake Baldwin takes a southpaw deep for the first time in his big league career!
Baldwin, 24, is the No. 57 prospect in the sport, via MLB Pipeline, though he will soon graduate off the Top 100 list. A third-round pick out of Missouri State in 2022, he is hitting .271 with a .338 on-base percentage in 20 games. He made the roster on Opening Day and has three homers and seven RBIs. He’s also posted a .796 OPS.
The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:
A left-handed hitting catcher, Baldwin uses an upright and open stance with a leg kick to routinely be on time at the plate. He has an outstanding approach at the plate, with a career 13.9 percent walk rate heading into the 2025 season, and keeps his strikeouts to a minimum. He’s made some solid adjustments as a pro and continued to do a lot of damage at the plate with the ability to drive the ball to all fields, with more power possible in the future without fear he’ll sell out for it.
