Drake Baldwin ‘confident’ if Braves need him to begin season

The Braves will need another backstop to pair with Chadwick Tromp to open the season. It could be a veteran — Sandy Leon and Curt Casali are in camp, giving the team an abundance of wisdom at the position — but it would seem the likelier outcome is that Baldwin debuts in a few weeks.

“It sucks to see a guy like that (Murphy) go down, especially a guy who’s helped me a ton,” Baldwin said. “I know how much pitchers love throwing to him and how much he means to the team. First reaction, it just sucks for him. How hard he works, having that fluke hit by pitch happen, it’s just unfortunate. But obviously it opens up a door. Everybody is fighting for a spot now, and (it means) competing, and they’ll choose who to be on the opening-day roster.”

The Braves have never shied from trusting young players. Baldwin, a collegiate product who’s produced across each minor-league level, is as seasoned as any 23-year-old prospect can be. He was superb upon his promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett last season, hitting .298 with an .891 OPS over 72 games. His defense and game management have made noticeable strides in recent years.

“Over the course of the last three springs, you’ve seen him get better and better,” Murphy said. “He’s an eager kid. He looks great. He’s steadily improving.”

The Braves haven’t made a decision, but Baldwin will be a factor soon enough regardless of opening day. Over the winter, the team declined mainstay Travis d’Arnaud’s club option and he signed with the Angels. The logical thought then was Murphy would handle a larger load — as he successfully did for the Athletics — with Chadwick Tromp serving as the backup. It afforded the Braves further patience with Baldwin and he could continue playing regularly in Triple-A.

Instead, Baldwin might be needed in Southern California on March 27. The Braves open their season in San Diego and Los Angeles, facing two 2024 playoff teams. Baldwin might get a baptism by fire.

“The people around me have put me in a good spot,” Baldwin said. “I’ve obviously never played in the big leagues, but it’s still baseball games. So I’ll go out there and do my thing. I think I’d be comfortable up there and just learning all the pitchers, trying to do everything I can to build a relationship with them if it does happen. Just be as ready as I can for the moment.”

He continued regarding his preparation:

“Just being with Sandy and Trompy in Triple-A has helped me a bunch. Catching guys like (Bryce) Elder, Ian (Anderson), so many big-league guys. Learning how they get hitters out. It’s not necessarily complicated, but there’s a lot more to think about in pitch sequencing and everything. I think I’ve learned a ton. You can always learn new stuff, so just asking as many questions with (pitching coach Rick Kranitz and bullpen coach Eddie Perez), and all the coaches who are trying to put me and the other catchers in the best spot possible.”

Braves pitchers have raved about Baldwin thus far. Reynaldo Lopez applauded his framing ability, acknowledging that he was even surprised by how advanced Baldwin has seemed. AJ Smith-Shawver said he believes Baldwin is “absolutely” ready and lauded his positive demeanor.

Reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale worked with Baldwin for the first time in a game setting Tuesday, pitching four no-hit innings. It was his first time working with Baldwin in a game setting.

“I thought he was great back there,” Sale said. “Never looked overwhelmed. Never looked overmatched. Just right on point, really. So that was a lot of fun.”

Sale hadn’t worked much with Baldwin over the past two springs (though the youngster caught his first bullpen session last spring), but he’s seen his growth. Note, too, that Sale and Leon have a long-standing relationship dating back to winning a World Series together in Boston, and Leon has been a mentor for Baldwin.

“Just seeing him on a day-to-day basis, it’s fun for me because I’ve been here for a little bit now - just seeing how people work, how people operate, how people interact with people,” Sale said. “He’s always in the weight room. He has an unbelievable work ethic. He has a great routine from what I’ve seen. He’s around all the right guys and that’s what you want from a young guy who’s in the position to take over a very, very important position. He isn’t afraid to ask questions. He’s doing all the right things and like I said, it looks like he’s starting to chisel out a pretty good routine for himself. Very likable guy, too, which is great.”