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The Atlanta Braves struck gold with the selection of catcher Drake Baldwin with the 96th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. As he emerges as an All-Star and one of the new faces of the franchise, a historic contract extension could be next for the reigning NL Rookie of the Year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that although the Braves have not “seriously begun talks” with Baldwin to discuss a potential contract extension, an eventual deal could reset the market for catchers.

• Drake Baldwin Stats 2026 (ESPN): 9 home runs, 30 RBI, .313/.392/.532, .922 triple-slash line in 147 at-bats this season

Baldwin, 25, is proving that his breakout season last year was no fluke. Atlanta’s budding All-Star has increased his walk rate (8.5% to 9.6%) and his isolated power (.195 to .218) so far. He’s clearly one of the best catchers in baseball, and his offensive production has been vital for a club that has also faced early struggles from Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr.

Cal Raleigh is currently the highest paid catcher in MLB at an average annual value of $17.5 million. Notably, Raleigh and Los Angeles Dodgers star Will Smith is the only catcher to sign a contract worth $100 million or more. Realistically, if Baldwin signs a long-term deal he will reach that area.

There’s certainly no reason for Atlanta to rush into negotiations with Murphy. He is also not arbitration-eligible for the first time until after the 2027 MLB season. He still has additional team control remaining, so he will not be eligible for MLB free agency until 2030.

Rosenthal explained why the record for the highest AAV ever for a catcher, $23.1 million, is a figure Baldwin could surpass with his next deal. If that’s the case, Atlanta could consider a five-plus-year contract extension totaling around $120 million.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Atlanta Braves have been the best team in baseball, and this is nowhere near it. The club has started 25-11 with an 8 1/2 game lead in second place. There have been speculations year after year that the Braves were finally due for a breakout, although they have never lived up to those expectations thus far.

a miraculous championship moment

Atlanta had won the World Series just five years earlier. You wouldn’t think it given how the club has played over the past few years, but this team has performed wonders in 2021. The Braves won only 88 games in the regular season, but it was enough to win a middling National League East.

Ronald Acuña Jr. posted his best season since his 2018 Rookie of the Year campaign with a .283/.394/.596 slash line and 24 home runs. Freddie Freeman batted .300 with 31 longballs on the year. Even Austin Riley threw 33 balls out of the yard. he was the one steep Crew. The fact that they only won 88 games is ridiculous in itself.

Atlanta bested the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS (3-1) before defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2) to clinch a spot in the World Series against the Houston Astros. It was a ridiculously good Astros club. Houston won 95 games to claim the top spot in the American League West. One of the highlights of that club was their brilliant opening innings. Composed of Luis Garcia, Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidi and Framber Valdez, watching the Braves defeat them in six games was a beautiful thing.

With leadoff homers from Jorge Soler (World Series MVP) and Eddie Rosario (NLCS MVP) in the postseason, the Braves battled their way to a World Series championship. they are The club proves that getting hot at the right time is what matters most in the race to the postseason.

That moment passes, each year since then is becoming less

Despite making the postseason three consecutive years after 2021, the Braves could not make it past the NLDS. Atlanta won over 100 games in 2022 and 2023 but disappointed in the postseason, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies both times. They won only 89 games in 2024 but still managed to make the playoffs. Atlanta was eventually joined in the NL wild card by the San Diego Padres.

But, in 2025, the Braves missed the postseason altogether. They finished fourth in the NL East with only 76 wins. It was a very poor season for an Atlanta team with high aspirations and expectations.

Much of this was due to injuries and absences from the planned roster. Jurickson Profar given 80-game suspension for PED use. Acuña was sidelined with hamstring and Achilles injuries. Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Showers and Hurston Waldrep all missed significant time, forcing Atlanta to piece together its starting rotation.

But, other than that, the offense struggled mightily. Despite four players having over 20 homers (Matt Olson, Acuna, Marcell Ozuna, and Michael Harris), they failed to actually win baseball games due to their poor starting rotation.

Heading into 2026, the problem for Atlanta was that they didn’t make a single decisive move this offseason to fix it. Their only real addition was to bring in former Padres closer Robert Suarez as Raisel Iglesias’ setup man. This solves most of the Braves’ bullpen problems, plus their numerous injuries haven’t been a major issue so far.

What’s more, starting left fielder Profar is now serving a full season suspension after once again testing positive for PEDs. Adding insult to injury (literally), shortstop Ha-seong Kim’s preseason injury dashed Atlanta’s 2026 offensive hopes.

Surpasses expectations and remains on top position

The Braves are on track to win 112 games. If they are able to accomplish this, it will be the most games won by Atlanta in franchise history. This is largely due to the all-round effort of the club.

Pitching finally looks as effective as the Bills

In MLB, the Braves’ pitching staff ranked second in opponent batting average (.216), third in ERA (3.25) and fourth in WHIP (1.16) and runs allowed (129). The only rotation in baseball that has been better is the Dodgers’. Chris Sale’s return to form has been a wonderful development for the club (2.14 ERA, 42.0 IP). Reynaldo Lopez has pitched well (though not incredibly) with a 3.28 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. But the real story is the success of Bryce Elder. The righty leads the club with a 1.88 ERA in his first seven starts.

Yes, it hurts to have Spencer Schwellenbach gone for most of the season. But Spencer Strider is back (though he had a rough start after giving up three runs in as many innings (3.1 IP). This has been the rotation, and it looks like it will continue to be lethal.

a crime that won’t go away

The craziest part? The rotation isn’t even the best part of Atlanta’s season. It is a crime. The Braves rank first in every major category except on-base percentage with a .275/.341/.468 slash line and .809 OPS. He is second in MLB in home runs with 54. It’s hard to argue with numbers like that.

That offense has been fueled by incredible performance after incredible performance. A resurgent Olson is batting .300 with 12 home runs and a 1.047 OPS. Drake Baldwin is showing zero signs of sophomore decline, batting .313/.392/.531 as the club’s primary backstop. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II are finally breaking out, with Dominic Smith emerging as an offensive threat. Acuna is declining, it’s true, but that doesn’t matter how much every other player has contributed.

There are still questions about depth and whether injuries will plague this club as much as before. The real test will come in the second half of the season. Can this Braves club overcome the dog days of summer? Perhaps. It would be great to see this Atlanta team finally live up to – and even exceed – the expectations set for them. only time will tell.

The Atlanta Braves got more tough news on Tuesday, but it could open the door to a bold trade the club should seriously consider.

The past few weeks have been tough for the Braves. They entered 2026 spring training with legitimate expectations of being a problem in the NL East this season. However, they were immediately dealt a serious blow when it was revealed that Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach both required surgery on their pitching elbows, which could force them out for much, if not all, of this season.

Still, the bad news doesn’t end there. On Tuesday, ESPN first reported that outfielder Jurickson Profar would be handed a 162-game ban after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. It is his second suspension after missing 80 games due to a positive test last year. However, there is a bright side to this news.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Braves will save $18 million as Profar serves his unpaid suspension. The 33-year-old was scheduled to earn $15 million, but they would save more because Atlanta was “above the luxury-tax threshold and paying 20 percent for every dollar they were over.”

Following this news, ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney suggested that the team could use the new money and try to target options to replace Schwellenbach and Waldrep. That would definitely make sense. However, they need to add an outfielder and a meaningful bat to the lineup.

Atlanta Braves should target Jaren Duran trade after Jurickson Profar’s suspension

That’s why it makes sense to trade for one-time All-Star Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox. The outfielder was linked to trade rumors throughout the offseason but remains in Beantown. Although the Sox may be willing to move him, the reason they won’t do so is because they want something meaningful in return because he is a good player and under team control until 2028.

The Braves are in need of an outfielder, and Duran would be a potential core member of their revamped lineup as well as a very affordable option for the next few seasons. They may have to part with one or two notable prospects in the deal. However, the price will be worth it to land a young impactful player who can be a meaningful part of a team that has a real chance to become the dark horse in the NL this year.

Plus, they’ll actually save money while getting better in the outfield or at designated hitter.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

In an unexpected comment, one of MLB’s best pitchers urged the Atlanta Braves to sign nine-year veteran Lucas Giolito.

Despite finishing 76-86 last year, there is legitimate excitement about the Braves for the 2026 season. Many believe that Ronald Acuña Jr. can be an MVP candidate again. They brought back impressive veteran Ha-seong Kim. All-Star closer Robert Suarez was added, and Spencer Strider will be another year removed from UCL surgery.

Strider and ace Chris Sale were drafted to lead a rotation that had the potential to become one of the best in the league. However, that group suffered massive losses last week. Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach are both expected to miss the majority of the 2026 season due to surgery on their pitching elbows.

While the Braves still have solid pitching depth, they are looking to the free agent market for potential options to fill Waldrep and Schwellenbach’s spots in the rotation. One player who has been linked to Atlanta is one-time All-Star Lucas Giolito.

The 31-year-old had a good season for the Boston Red Sox in 2025 after missing all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery. Yet, for some reason, he remains a free agent with a week-old spring training available to teams around the league.

Garrett Crockett leads Braves to sign Lucas Giolito

Well, his 2025 teammate Garrett Crockett believes that should end there, and claimed this week that the Braves are a “pretty obvious” spot where he should land.

“It doesn’t mean anything special. However, it’s been that way for a while,” Crochet told the media on Saturday when asked about Giolito still being available. “The middle of the market gets messed up on both the position player and pitching side and once the season starts either the signings end or what have you.”

He added, “…a lot of people never understand it here. The people who have, have stayed here for some reason in the past. I don’t think just because we’re being super analytical, we should look at it any different.” “When you look at depth, you’re looking at guys who are experienced and have done it, not guys who can do it. That’s not depth. It’s just another possibility.”

Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA and struck out 121 batters in 145 innings last season.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos