The Atlanta Braves' 2024 season couldn't have gone much worse.
Most fanbases would kill for 89 wins and a postseason appearance, but Atlanta has been spoiled in recent years. This is a deep, talented roster built to contend on a perennial basis. It's easy to peg the Dodgers as runaway favorites in the National League, but if there's a team built to challenge LA — at least on paper — it's the Braves.
Injuries sunk those competitive dreams in 2024, but there's reason to expect a bounce back in 2025. Better luck health-wise is obviously a must, but Alex Anthopoulos retained most of the core that won 104 games in 2023, not to mention the reigning Cy Young winner in Chris Sale and more of last season's sparse breakthrough stars, such as Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach.
That said, there are more doubts than there were a couple years ago. Last season's slog was not all injury-related. Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson all endured fairly significant slumps. Meanwhile, the departures of Max Fried and Charlie Morton leave the Braves vulnerable on the pitching front.
Perhaps the most intriguing question mark surrounding the team, however, is what does the future hold at catcher?
If we want to read the tea leaves, it might not center on Sean Murphy for much longer.
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Sean Murphy has helping his own replacement in Drake Baldwin
Atlanta's catcher depth chart has been exceedingly strong for years. Not only did Murphy earn an All-Star bid in 2023, but Travis d'Arnaud made his bones as a World Series hero in 2021 and was an All-Star in his own right the year after. As Murphy's backup, d'Arnaud offered the rare catching slugger and profiled as one of the very best backups in baseball.
Now, however, d'Arnaud is with Ron Washington in Anaheim, which leaves the Braves short on depth behind Murphy... except, maybe not.
Lo and behold, top Braves prospect Drake Baldwin appears increasingly ready for his big-league debut. The 23-year-old has stepped into an elevated role this spring as Murphy nurses a rib injury. On one hand, the Braves don't need Murphy to miss another extended chunk of time, like he did in 2024. On the other, it's a chance for Baldwin to instill faith in Atlanta's future behind home plate.
The talented lefty has faired well in spring training so far, with seven hits, four runs, and two RBI across 19 at-bats. That's good for an impressive .994 OPS. Not exactly a huge sample size, but enough for Braves fans to appreciate Baldwin's progress and think about what's to come.
Murphy is under contract through 2028, but he's also a 30-year-old catcher coming off a turbulent campaign and marred by a spotty track record at the plate. He is not irreplaceable, especially if Baldwin's offense comes on strong out of the gate. And, if Baldwin's own comments are any indication, Murphy is doing his part to help his younger counterpart develop.
"It's been a great experience so far," Baldwin told MLB Pipeline reporter Sam Dykstra, "even still talking to Sean [Murphy] and all the other catchers in camp, just trying to be the best player I can be."
The young backstop has also been forming valuable relationships with Atlanta's cornerstone pitchers, such as Chris Sale.
"It's just trying to get a relationship with [the Braves' pitchers], trying to talk to them as much as you can. Whether it's baseball or just stuff at home. They've been incredible. Talking with Chris has helped me a ton with pitch calling, how he likes to go about things, and feeling more comfortable in the game."
Murphy isn't going anywhere soon, but Atlanta has its succession plan in place — and one heck of a backup for the time being. Baldwin looks the part of No. 1 prospect in the Braves clubhouse, and there are few more valuable assets in baseball than a catcher who performs at the plate and provides a strong presence on the field. There isn't a better mentor for Baldwin when it comes to learning the intricacies of pitch-calling and defending the plate than Murphy, a former Gold Glove winner and one of the best defensive catchers in the sport.