The Atlanta Braves have extended their NL East division lead to eight games after beating the Washington Nationals in the first two games of their four-game series.
Atlanta is 10-5 since the MLB All-Star break, and appears to have found its Mojo again on offense. A big reason for that has been Drake Baldwin being very productive with the bat in his hand.
Before game three of the Nationals-Braves series, Atlanta revealed a Drake Baldwin decision regarding his positioning for the game and where he is batting in the lineup.
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Drake Baldwin Catching on Saturday; Batting Leadoff
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 29: Catcher Drake Baldwin #30 and Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after defeating the New York Mets in game two of a double header at Citi Field on July 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
On Friday, in the Braves’ win over the Nationals, Drake Baldwin was the team’s DH, and he batted second.
On Saturday, manager Walt Weiss has opted to place Baldwin in leadoff, and he is also back behind the plate. The Braves seem to be very comfortable with Drake Baldwin catching every other day, and Saturday’s game will feature Baldwin forming a battery with Reynaldo Lopez.
Here is the full lineup for the Braves on 8/1:
Braves 8/1: “D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF O. Albies 2B D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF J. Jarvis SS R. López SP”
D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF O. Albies 2B D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF J. Jarvis SS
R. López SP
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Drake Baldwin’s 2026 Campaign
Drake Baldwin was named an MLB All-Star for the first time last month, and his 2026 season is very All-Star worthy, as he’s been such a solid presence for the Braves when in the lineup, and notably, when Baldwin dealt with an oblique injury that kept him out around a month, Atlanta’s lineup struggled a bit.
Baldwin is batting .275 this season with 20 home runs, seven doubles, 93 hits, 56 RBI, and an OPS+ of 131. He’s definitely making a good case for being one of the better-hitting catchers in MLB, and his numbers reflect that.
In the last five games, Baldwin has five hits (one double), and two runs scored.
It’s very smart on behalf of the Braves ‘part to keep giving Baldwin days off from catching in an attempt to preserve his legs.
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Atlanta Braves Announce Drake Baldwin Decision Before Nationals Game