Braves Rookie Drake Baldwin Is Going To Be a Star in the Big Leagues

I am addicted to Drake Baldwin. In a season where so much has gone wrong for the Atlanta Braves, my biggest lament is that Baldwin only has 67 plate appearances. Every single time he's at the plate, he just smacks the shit out of the baseball.

Baldwin is playing sparingly because he's stuck behind Sean Murphy, but the Braves simply have to find a way to get him more at-bats. If that means DH-ing whichever one of those guys isn't catching and putting Marcell Ozuna in the outfield until Ronald Acuña is back, so be it. You just have to find a way to get this kid playing time, because he seems to come up with a big hit every single time one is needed.

Last night, Baldwin stepped to the plate after Atlanta had gone 0-5 with RISP in the 10th and 11th inning and casually knocked in the winning run against one of the toughest left-handed relievers in baseball. He just does what he's supposed to do.

Look at this guy's Baseball Savant page. You'd think you were looking at one of the 25 best hitters in baseball and it turns out it's the Braves' back-up catcher who's playing twice a week.

The average exit velocity and hard hit percentage check out, because even when this kid gets out, it's on a 102 MPH rocket right at somebody. He's slashing .279/.343/.459 (124 wRC+) with 3 HR and 8 RBI in just 61 ABs. He'd be right up there with Roki Sasaki for NL Rookie of the Year if he was playing every day.

If anyone is selling Drake Baldwin stock, I would like to buy all you have. This guy is a five-time All-Star in the making.