Braves: Drake Baldwin to left field is dead… for now

Drake Baldwin caps Braves' comeback with go-ahead single

Braves Country has been running through scenarios to find ways for both Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin to be in the lineup everyday.

The rookie Baldwin is on a tear few players in MLB history will ever experience. Over his last 21 games, he’s hitting .472 (!) with four homers, good for an OPS just shy of 1.300. The only thing stopping him from becoming the third Braves player to win the NL Rookie of the Year award since 2018 is playing time. There isn’t another rookie even close to his level, except for perhaps his own teammate, AJ Smith-Shawver, who is sporting a 2.33 ERA over his first seven starts.

Drake Baldwin drives in the winning run to lift Braves over Reds 5-4 in 11 innings

Murphy hasn’t been much worse, if at all. He is second on the team in OPS (.858), behind only Drake Baldwin, after a two-hit night on Friday that included his eighth home run. He also has a case for the best defensive catcher in baseball, and the pitching staff seems to perform on another level when he’s behind the plate.

Both are deserving of everyday opportunities and could really help a Braves offense that has been incredibly inconsistent to begin the year. Unfortunately, about the only scenario in which that could happen is if Drake Baldwin can play left field, a dream that Alex Anthopoulos shut down.

On a recent appearance on 680 The Fan, Anthopoulos was asked about the potential move, to which he responded it hasn’t even been considered.

It’s not necessarily surprising the Braves don’t want to add more to a rookie’s plate so soon. Baldwin is doing perfectly fine in the role he’s in right now, and there are outfield reinforcements on the way to Atlanta. Most notably, Ronald Acuña Jr., who could return as early as next weekend against the Padres.

But later on down the road, Jurickson Profar will also rejoin the team, and the combination of Eli White and Alex Verdugo has also done enough to inspire some confidence if a platoon is needed in left field. The Braves don’t need Drake Baldwin to play the outfield today, but if injuries arise later in the season, and he keeps mashing, things could change.

I simply refuse to believe an organization that started Evan Gattis in the outfield and Freddie Freeman at third base wouldn’t at least consider seeing if a talent like Baldwin could play a new position. Right now, they just aren’t in a desperate enough situation.

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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire