Sensational rookie helps Braves go from 0-7 to .500 in near-record time

ATLANTA -- Now that we’ve passed the “Should Drake Baldwin remain in the Majors as a backup” phase, it’s time to focus on how the Braves will continue benefiting from his great offensive potential as frequently as possible.

Baldwin delivered a key single, a double and a two-run homer in a 5-2 win over the Nationals on Tuesday night at Truist Park. His first career three-hit game helped the Braves become just the fifth team ever to reach the .500 mark after beginning a season 0-7.

“I think we were eight under [.500] at one point,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I think it’s just a testament to the guys and how they never stopped doing their jobs and playing the game the right way. It’s not a big deal, but it kind of is.”

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It is a big deal when you consider just four other teams had ever gone from 0-7 to a .500 record at any point of the same season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only team to accomplish this in fewer games than the 21-21 Braves were the 1945 Red Sox, who evened their record in the season’s 38th game.

How good have the Braves been since losing their first seven games? Their 21-14 record going back to April 4, the date of their first win, is the National League’s second best during this span, trailing only the Mets’ 25-12 mark.

The Braves’ 16-8 record since April 18 matches the Mets for the NL’s best within that span.

“If we continue to do what we’re doing, I think we’ll be in a good spot,” Baldwin said.

If the Braves continue to get regular playing time for Baldwin, they definitely could find themselves in a good place. The 24-year-old catcher has hit .329 with a .939 OPS through his first 76 plate appearances. He has hit .423 with a 1.195 OPS in the 56 plate appearances he has had since the team’s 0-7 start.

“He just keeps piling up good at-bats and getting good decisions,” Snitker said. “We needed to have some offense there, and it was good tonight to knock some runs in and get a little lead.”

Along with distancing himself from some of the stress that developed as his team entered Tuesday having played seven straight one-run games, Snitker was rewarded for his decision to give Baldwin his second start in a span of three days. The rookie catcher is also slated to start Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Nationals.

Does this mean Baldwin and Sean Murphy are now going to share the catching position on an every-other-day basis? It’s not like Murphy hasn’t provided value with his power. His seven homers equate to one every 13 at-bats, and he has also constructed an .838 OPS in 26 games.

“I haven’t even thought about it,” Snitker said. “I told both of those guys what my plan was for this series. We'll probably just go series to series and look at some matchups and things like that, because [Baldwin] is doing well. He's helping us win games.”

Each of the Braves’ previous four unsuccessful attempts to even their record were foiled by disappointing offensive showings. Nationals starter Mike Soroka entered this game with a 7.20 ERA for 2025 and without a win since leaving Atlanta after the ‘23 season. But he kept his former team scoreless until Baldwin laced a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the fourth.

After tying the game with his fourth homer within a span of 35 at-bats going back to April 16, Baldwin singled and scored on Eli White’s single in the sixth.

“It’s been great to be around the guys who are here,” Baldwin said. “There are a lot of veterans. They keep you locked in. The coaches have been a huge part to the success I’ve had.”

Baldwin began the season as Atlanta’s primary catcher, but he moved to a backup role after Murphy returned from the injured list on April 8. He started just eight of the next 30 games behind the plate. But he still believes he benefited from this stretch that included some key pinch-hit contributions.

“From the first day where I kind of thought I'd be able to stay in the big leagues, and that they were giving me a little bit more of a shot, it just adds confidence,” Baldwin said.