Drake Baldwin: Parents| Stats| Rookie of the year| Savant| Salary

Early Life & Family

Drake Randall Baldwin was born on March 28, 2001 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Although detailed public information about both his parents is limited, it is known that his mother, Bridgette, works as a teacher.
He attended Madison West High School where he was a multi-sport athlete, also playing hockey in addition to baseball.
His collegiate career took place at Missouri State University, where he excelled in baseball leading up to his selection in the MLB Draft.

MLB Draft & Rise

Baldwin was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round (96th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft. 
He initially played in the minor leagues, showing steady progress:

• In 2023, between High-A, Double-A and a brief Triple-A stint, he slashed .270/.385/.460 with 16 home runs.

• In 2024, he split time between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .276 with 16 home runs and 88 RBIs.

This steady ascent set the stage for his major league debut.

Rookie Year Breakout & Rookie of the Year

Baldwin made the Braves’ Opening Day roster in 2025. 
In his rookie season, he posted impressive numbers:

• Batting average: .274

• On-base percentage: .341

• Slugging percentage: .469

• Home runs: 19

• RBIs: 80

• Advanced stats from Baseball Savant indicate: average exit velocity 91.7 mph, hard-hit % about 49.6 %, barrel % around 11.0 %.

Because of that performance, he won the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year award.

“Savant” Credentials

When people refer to Baldwin as a “savant,” they often invoke his Statcast and Baseball Savant metrics:

• His xwOBA (expected weighted On-Base Average) for 2025 was .354.

• He ranked in the ~80 th percentile or better in many contact and quality-of-contact categories.
  This kind of data-driven skill set underpins the label of “savant” hitter: someone who doesn’t just produce traditional stats but shows advanced underlying metrics suggesting future growth.

Salary & Earnings

According to his contract history:

• His 2026 projected salary is US$820,000.

• His career earnings to date (through 2025) are approximately US$2.14 million.
  Given that he is still early in his major-league tenure, his salary is modest by veteran standards but will likely increase significantly if his performance continues or improves.

Why He Matters & What to Watch

• Playing catcher — one of the most demanding defensive positions — and hitting at the level he did as a rookie is rare.

• His contact quality, exit velocities, and barrel rates suggest his offensive ceiling is higher than his rookie line.

• Important watch-areas: durability (catching is physically taxing), growth in on-base skills (walk rate), and refinement behind the plate (game-calling, framing).

Summary

Drake Baldwin is a young rising catcher for the Atlanta Braves who made a strong debut, backed by advanced analytics. His family background includes a teaching mother and a high-school dual-sport athlete profile. He earned 2025 NL Rookie of the Year honours, and though his salary is still modest, his performance suggests a potentially very high future value.