Will The Braves Hold or Trade Their Latest Young Catcher?

For the third time since 2020, the Atlanta Braves have another young, talented catcher on the verge of forcing his way to the big leagues. Shea Langeliers and William Contreras were both once top emerging prospects in the Braves organization, but neither remained in Atlanta for long.

Drake Baldwin is next in line.

The former third-round pick out of Missouri State made waves in 2023 as he quickly ascended through the minor league system, but his 2024 season really put his name on the map.

In Triple-A last year, Baldwin slashed .298/.407/.585 with a .891 OPS and 12 home runs in 334 plate appearances. But Baldwin didn’t stop there. In the Arizona Fall League, Baldwin slashed .377/.452/.491 with a .942 OPS across 13 games.

Baldwin will push to break camp with the Atlanta Braves in 2025. Yet, an important question looms: will Baldwin even be with Atlanta on Opening Day?

This is a fair concern given the Braves’ current needs and Sean Murphy’s hold on the catcher position through 2028. We can examine two previous instances of Atlanta Braves catching prospects to gain a little insight into just what the front office may be thinking.

Shea Langeliers

Shea Langeliers was a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves back in 2019 out of Baylor University. He got off to a slow start in his first professional season slashing .255/.310/.343 with a .653 OPS in A-ball. After the pandemic-canceled 2020 minor league season, Langeliers rebounded in 2021, posting a .836 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A.

However, Langeliers never got his chance in Atlanta. Before the 2022 season, he was traded to the Athletics as part of the package to acquire Matt Olson.

In three seasons with the Athletics, Langeliers has slashed .215/.276/.432 with a .708 OPS. While these numbers fall short of expectations, Langeliers has shown steady improvement in each of the last three seasons.

Meanwhile, Matt Olson has been a cornerstone for Atlanta, playing every game since joining the team. Over three seasons, Olson has slashed .257/.349/.513 with an .862 OPS and 117 home runs.

The trade has undeniably paid off for Atlanta. Langeliers’ departure brought in Olson’s impactful bat, while Travis d’Arnaud, William Contreras, and Sean Murphy provided the Braves with stellar tandem catching options over the years.

With that said, Langeliers has hit 20 home runs in each of the last two seasons, blasting 29 across 137 games in 2024, playing his home games at the Coliseum. Now moving to a minor league ballpark in 2025 with the A’s, he could become a 30-HR catcher.

Langeliers didn’t fit the Braves window, but he’s trending in the right direction now.

William Contreras

William Contreras was signed by the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent in 2015. The younger brother of Willson Contreras spent five full seasons in the minor leagues before getting a crack with the big league club in 2020.

Contreras then split time between Triple-A and Atlanta in 2021, helping the Braves win a World Series title. By 2022, he had become a staple in Atlanta’s catching rotation, splitting duties with Travis d’Arnaud and recording 334 at-bats with a .860 OPS.

Despite offensive strides, Contreras struggled defensively, committing eight errors and throwing out just six of 42 base stealers.

This led to Atlanta seeking an upgrade at the catcher position, sending William Contreras to Milwaukee in a three-team trade with the Athletics to acquire catcher Sean Murphy.

It is no secret that William Contreras has been one of, if not the best, catchers in all of baseball since this trade. In fact, in Just Baseball’s recent ranking of the top 10 catchers in baseball, our panel unanimously ranked him as the best catcher in baseball heading into 2025.

Becoming the everyday catcher of the Brewers, Contreras has slashed .285/.366/.462 with a .828 OPS and earned two Silver Slugger awards.

Sean Murphy, meanwhile, made an immediate impact in 2023, bringing both offensive and defensive stability to Atlanta. However injuries and splitting time with d’Arnaud affected his consistency.

Over two seasons with Atlanta, Murphy has slashed .229/.335/.430 with a .764 OPS.

Defensively, Contreras has shown improvement as well. Passed Balls are still an issue, finishing 2024 tied with the fourth-most in the MLB with six, but he improved his caught-stealing percentage to 23%, outperforming Murphy and d’Arnaud’s combined 21%.

Would Braves fans undo the trade if given the chance? Many might say yes.

However, I would urge them to use patience. Sean Murphy’s role has now changed, and for the first time, he has become the everyday catcher in Atlanta. If he can remain healthy, expect Murphy to display his full capabilities in 2025.

Drake Baldwin

Drake Baldwin is the latest Atlanta Brave prospect to climb rapidly through the minor leagues. With only veteran Chadwick Tromp blocking his path, Baldwin’s MLB debut seems imminent.

The question remains about how the Braves will handle Baldwin.

On one hand, if Baldwin can continue to find success at the major league level, he gives Atlanta another 1-2 punch of Murphy and Baldwin behind the plate. On the other hand, splitting time could hinder both catchers’ development and consistency, as seen with Murphy in 2023.

Luckily, we have seen two similar cases recently with Atlanta to help evaluate this situation.

I am one to believe no player is untouchable. A good general manager listens to all offers. I am not saying Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos should be actively shopping Baldwin, but he should remain open to deals, especially with the Braves needing upgrades at starting pitching, shortstop, and in the bullpen.

Free agency is still underway and there are plenty of players out there that can provide the Braves with the depth upgrades needed. However, there is a lack of impact talent left on the market, with those still available highly sought after.

Anthopoulos has a proven track record of leveraging the trade market. If there is an immediate impact player out there, Baldwin could be a valuable trade piece in negotiations.

There have been rumblings on X that suggested Baldwin was a key target for the Chicago White Sox in discussions for Garrett Crochet, though Atlanta ultimately was unable to put together a package similar to that of the Boston Red Sox.

Aram and Peter recently discussed a potential deal in which Atlanta would send Drake Baldwin to the Minnesota Twins to land Pablo López on The Just Baseball Show.

Such a move would address Atlanta’s pressing need for starting pitching, bolstering an already potential top 5 rotation in baseball. This is the type of impact the Atlanta Braves should be open to.

If no impactful trade materializes, Baldwin should be given every chance to break camp with the Braves in 2025. Atlanta cannot afford to rely solely on Chadwick Tromp if Murphy suffers a setback. Giving Baldwin early exposure to major league pitching will assist in his development, as he has little left to prove at the minor league level.

Summary

Drake Baldwin has earned his shot at the big leagues after two stellar seasons in the minors and a standout performance in the Arizona Fall League. Whether his future lies with the Braves or another team, is uncertain.

Atlanta shouldn’t actively shop Baldwin, but they should remain open to offers that could bring back an impact player. If no such deal arises, Baldwin should play a significant role in Atlanta’s 2025 season.

The Braves have the luxury of using Baldwin in trade talks, already having secured their would-be catcher of the future in Sean Murphy through 2028.

With that said, there are two different directions it could go for the Braves if they do pull the trigger. It could be like Langeliers, where it takes years for him to develop and the return is worth the cost. Or he could pop and turn into an All-Star like Contreras.

The Braves face critical decisions, but one thing is clear: Drake Baldwin’s talent makes him an essential part of their present and future, whether in Atlanta or elsewhere.