NL Rookie of the Year leaderboard after Drake Baldwin's signature home run

It's no secret that the 2025 season hasn't gone as the Atlanta Braves envisioned. At 62-75, the Braves are comfortably out of postseason contention, and they have the fourth-worst record in the National League. They expected to be World Series contenders entering the year, but just about everything went wrong. Well, Drake Baldwin is an exception to that.

Baldwin, Atlanta's top prospect entering the year, wasn't even supposed to make the Opening Day roster. A spring training injury to Sean Murphy created an opportunity for Baldwin to make the team, and he did just that. He looked so good both offensively and defensively to start the year, to the point where even when Murphy returned, Baldwin stuck around.

He hasn't slowed down at all. In fact, he just hit a massive two-run home run in the ninth inning of Sunday's game, helping the Braves avoid a sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's been a bad season for Atlanta, but Baldwin has established himself not only as the catcher of the future for the Braves, but one of the best at that position in the sport. The season he's had also has him firmly in the National League Rookie of the Year race.

Here's a look at where Baldwin stands among his NL rookie peers with a month left to go.

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4. Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins

This year's field is so stacked to the point where a catcher who has hit 19 home runs and 28 doubles while driving in 60 runs isn't even the Rookie of the Year runner-up right now. Agustin Ramirez has been as advertised as a hitter for the most part, but there are a couple of reasons why he only ranks fourth despite leading all NL rookies in home runs and runs.

First and foremost, while he's caught as much as he's DH'd, it's hard to even call Ramirez a catcher. He catches, but is not a good framer, thrower or blocker. The Miami Marlins have little to lose by playing him behind the plate often, but his value plummets when he's catching. Despite all he's done at the dish, he's only worth 0.3 fWAR, good for a tie for 12th among all NL rookies.

Second, while Ramirez has hit for a ton of power, he isn't exactly getting on base as much as the Marlins would like. He's hitting just .233 with a .290 OBP; both marks are below league-average. The home runs are great, and the stolen bases are a nice bonus, but Ramirez is incredibly flawed as a player.

With all of that being said, the season he's had as a 23-year-old rookie without much protection in the lineup has been incredibly impressive. The Marlins, as an organization, have been power-starved for years, so having Ramirez to build around, even if he can't stick behind the plate long-term, is a great thing.

3. Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs

This is where things get difficult. Cade Horton has pitched his way into the NL Rookie of the Year race, posting a 1.34 ERA in 10 starts since the start of July. He's been the No. 3 starter that the Chicago Cubs have desperately needed, and he's the only finalist poised to make an impact in October.

Overall, Horton has a sparkling 2.92 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) and 98.2 innings of work. The Cubs have gone 13-6 when he's taken the ball, and it's hard to envision where they'd be without him. He deserves his props, but it's hard for me to put Horton at the top because of how he stacks up against the nine NL rookies with at least 60 innings pitched.

I do believe Horton has been the league's best rookie pitcher, but guys like Chad Patrick and Jack Dreyer aren't too far behind. Horton doesn't lead NL rookies in any key metrics. Given that, while Horton deserves some recognition and deserves to be a finalist, it's hard to put him at the top of the board.

2. Isaac Collins, Milwaukee Brewers

Isaac Collins is this year's Cinderella story in the Rookie of the Year race. Collins, a 28-year-old who was selected in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, has done nothing but thrive in his first chance of consistent playing time at the MLB level.

Collins is slashing .274/.371/.425 with eight home runs, 49 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He's taken over as the everyday left fielder for a Milwaukee Brewers team with the best record in the majors.

If this ranking had been done a couple of weeks ago, Collins might've led the list. Unfortunately, he's hit just .173 over his last 16 games, allowing Drake Baldwin, who has been better offensively for longer, to take control of the top spot (for now).

1. Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

He was who I believe should be considered the NL Rookie of the Year favorite before the home run, and the home run only added to his case. Baldwin has had an unbelievable rookie year, and deserves the credit for that.

Baldwin is slashing .280/.351/.462 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI this season for the Braves. Again, he forced his way into the lineup regularly even when Murphy was healthy, and has established himself as a key player for the franchise both now and in the future. Let's take a look at how he measures up against Collins in some key metrics.

It's so close. Honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you sided with Collins, the leader among NL rookies in fWAR. What has Baldwin ahead of Collins ever so slightly for me is that he's simply been a better hitter. He has nearly double Collins' home run output and has an OPS over 15 points higher. Collins has had more plate appearances, yet Baldwin has been slightly more impactful at the dish.

Given how close this race is, though, I wouldn't be surprised to see Collins or even Horton win the award. The last month of the season should be fascinating to follow.