Sean Murphy’s Injury Opens The Door for Drake Baldwin

Sean Murphy is primed for a bounce-back season entering Spring Training. With Travis d’Arnaud departing in free agency, Murphy is set to take on a larger role as Atlanta’s primary catcher.

That road just became more challenging as Murphy is now expected to miss four to six weeks with a cracked rib after being hit by a pitch in last Friday’s Spring Training game.

Murphy’s tenure in Atlanta has been a rollercoaster thus far. He got off to a hot start in 2023, posting an .844 OPS and earning a National League All-Star selection. However, 2024 took a rough turn when an oblique strain on Opening Day sidelined him for 53 games.

Upon return, he struggled to find a groove as the Braves relied on d’Arnaud to do the heavy lifting behind the plate.

Unfairly, Braves fans have also had a tough time digesting Murphy’s struggles while William Contreras, the catcher Atlanta sent away in the Sean Murphy trade, has emerged as one of, if not the best offensive catchers in baseball.

Now with Sean Murphy projected to miss the first couple of weeks of the season, Atlanta will turn their attention to their catcher depth to fill the void until Murphy returns. And a top prospect looms as an intriguing option to get that first crack at the position.

Will the Braves turn to Drake Baldwin?

Drake Baldwin will be the popular choice among Braves fans to take over the role. Currently ranked as a top 30 prospect in baseball, Baldwin is due to get some run in the big leagues this year, it was just not expected to come so soon.

Through three seasons in the minor leagues, Baldwin has an impressive .272/.379/.428 slash line with a .807 OPS. Most importantly, his Triple-A numbers are even better, boasting a .300/.405/.488 and a .892 OPS.

These numbers illustrate why Baldwin has gone from an under-the-radar third-round pick to one of the most talked-about prospects on the verge of a major league debut.

It’s still a small sample size, but at the time of writing Baldwin is hitting .333 with an .884 OPS through 12 at-bats this Spring Training. This includes a three-hit game against the Miami with his first knock coming off Sandy Alcantara.

Brian Snitker was asked about Drake Baldwin’s prospects of being ready to make the Opening Day roster and his response was pretty straightforard:

“He might have to be.”

If Baldwin continues to impress throughout Spring Training, he could very well find himself in San Diego for Opening Day.

The main focus will be on Baldwin, however there are other catching options that very well may find themselves in the mix for playing time.

Who if not Drake Baldwin?

Chadwick Tromp, a 30-year-old with five years of MLB experiences, has the best chance to compete with Baldwin to start the season for the sole reason that he is currently the only healthy catcher on the 40-man roster. Despite spending the last three seasons in Atlanta’s organization, he has appeared in just 26 games for the big league club.

Offensively, Tromp isn’t a strong contributor with a career .635 OPS. However, Brian Snitker may opt for the veteran as a safer, more experienced option to start the season

Behind Tromp is a pair of 36-year-old veterans in Curt Casali and Sandy León.

Casali is a long-time backup catcher who has played for Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Seattle, and San Francisco over his 11-year career. León has a similar path as Casali, playing for seven teams over his 12-year career.

To put it bluntly, the Atlanta Braves would prefer not to rely on either as their stopgap. Both are expected to begin the year in Triple-A serving as mentors for Atlanta’s young pitching prospects, if they so choose to.

Tromp may not be a significant offensive upgrade, but he at least has recent experience stepping in when needed.

The biggest factor that could keep Baldwin in Triple-A is service time. If Murphy ends up only missing a handful of games, Atlanta may opt to hold Baldwin back rather than start his service clock. Once Baldwin is promoted, there’s no turning back. He won’t immediately take over as the starter, but Snitker will have to figure out how to get him consistent at-bats throughout the season.

Best case scenario for the Braves is that Murphy returns to form and has the bounce-back season many expect, while Baldwin develops into the impact prospect he’s projected to be. A catching tandem featuring that kind of offensive upside would excite fans across Braves Country.

Easier said than done, however.

After last season’s injury struggles, the last thing the Braves wanted was another key player sidelined before Opening Day. Murphy now joins Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. as projected starters beginning the season on the IL. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that we may now get an early look at what Drake Baldwin can bring to the Atlanta Braves.