Brave New World: Baldwin Wins NL ROTY
SAL Rome Emperors

Brave New World: Baldwin Wins NL ROTY

Published on November 11, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release


LAS VEGAS - Drake Baldwin, 24, became the third former Rome Brave in the last eight years to be crowned National League Rookie of the Year on Monday.

Drake Baldwin, who starred for Rome in 2023 alongside Nacho Alvarez Jr., compiled a 3.3 WAR for Atlanta in 2025, marking the second-highest WAR obtained by any rookie catcher since 2000 (Buster Posey's 3.9 WAR in 2010). Across 86 starts at catcher and 12 at designated hitter, he hit .279 with 19 home runs and an .810 OPS, leading the NL rookie class with 80 runs driven in.

Of course, both Posey and Baldwin are now immortalized as NL ROTY winners, with the latter becoming the eighth Atlanta Brave ever to do so and fifth since 2000, joining Earl Williams, Bob Horner, David Justice, Rafael Furcal, Craig Kimbrel, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Michael Harris II. Missouri State University has now produced two NL ROTYs: Baldwin and the Phillies' Ryan Howard in 2005.

"This is one of the coolest things that I've ever had happen," said Baldwin, who spent Monday night with teammates Spencer Schwellenbach and Adam Zebrowski. "I didn't think I was gonna be that nervous for it, but once I got on the call, my heart was pounding. It was a really cool moment."

There was not one, but two former Rome Braves in the running for National League Rookie of the Year in 2025. Milwaukee's Caleb Durbin was one year ahead of Baldwin in the Braves organization, reaching High-A Rome in 2022 before being traded to the New York Yankees for LHP Lucas Luetge. Two offseasons later it was Durbin being dealt again, this time to the Brewers in the deal that brought reliever Devin Williams to the Bronx.

Atlanta will receive a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) pick in the 2026 MLB Draft for Baldwin's Rookie of the Year campaign. Baldwin was a top-100 prospect entering the season who broke camp with the Braves and was never optioned back to Triple-A, meaning the Braves will have an additional pick towards the end of the first-round of the draft along with a 45% chance to land a top-6 pick in the lottery.

Check out the Rome Emperors Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from November 11, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central