The Atlanta Braves offense remains frustratingly stuck in the mud; Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals was the 12th time in the team's last 14 games that it failed to score more than four runs, as stalwarts like Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies struggle to get out of second gear.
One of the only bright spots in this prolonged slump has been rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, who's more than hit the ground running in his first taste of the big leagues. And yet, despite a .953 OPS over his first 26 games, Baldwin's been stuck in the bottom half of Atlanta's lineup, never hitting higher than fifth — that is, until Thursday.
It seems like another exasperating loss has finally jolted Brian Snitker to life, because the Braves skipper decided to shake things up for his lineup on Thursday afternoon. Not only is Baldwin getting the start behind the plate, but he'll be hitting second, ahead of all of Atlanta's big boppers. Albies, meanwhile, is all the way down in the 7-hole.
Of course, the fact that Verdugo is still leading off despite a miserable slump of his own puts a little damper on things, but we'll choose to find the silver lining here. The fact that Snitker is willing to put this much trust in his rookie is a great sign moving forward, one that's long overdue.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Braves finally move hot-hitting Drake Baldwin to top of lineup
Life as a rookie is awfully hard, and that goes double for catchers as they try to adapt to the complexities of life behind the plate in the Majors. But Baldwin has carried himself like a 10-year vet so far, not only managing Atlanta's pitching staff with aplomb but tearing the cover off the ball while he does it. He's got 11 hits in his last 19 at-bats, and his underlying metrics are through the roof; he's even holding his own against lefties, a major question mark on his scouting report entering this season.
It's more than likely that Baldwin will hit a rough patch at some point over the next few months. Big-league pitchers always adjust, after all. But Baldwin looks every bit a professional hitter, and the Braves can't afford to let that languish at the bottom of the lineup out of nothing but deference to seniority. There's nothing in the rookie's profile to suggest that he's not one of Atlanta's most dangerous bats right now, and with so much riding on this season — and so much ground to make up in the NL — he's earned his place alongside the team's veteran stars.