Drake Baldwin’s rise to the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year was perhaps only the beginning.
The Atlanta Braves catcher from Madison is on an even higher level to start this season, leading the league in games played (29), runs (29) and hits (37) leading into games Monday, April 27. Baldwin has a .909 OPS and a .388 on-base percentager, with seven homers, 25 RBIs (tied for third in the NL) and even his first career stolen base.
Baldwin has played nine games at designated hitter, the rest at catcher. The Madison West alumnus, who turned 25 in late March, had an .810 OPS last year with 19 homers and 80 RBIs on his way to the Rookie of the Year award, comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs.
At 20-9, the Braves already have a 6½-game lead in the National League East and own the best record in the league, though only slightly ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (19-9), San Diego Padres (18-9) and Cincinnati Reds (18-10).
Baldwin’s successes this season included hitting a pitch nearly on the ground for a 438-foot home run.
Tomah’s Connor Pirelipp to make second start April 27
Minnesota Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp, from Tomah, will make his second career MLB start Monday, April 27, when he faces the Seattle Mariners at home.
Prielipp, a second-round draft pick in 2022 from the University of Alabama, allowed two earned runs on four hits, with six strikeouts, in four innings during his debut April 22. He left with a no-decision in a 3-2 loss to the Mets that ended New York’s long losing streak.
Prielipp is the second Wisconsinite to make his big-league debut in 2026, along with Angels pitcher George Klassen from Port Washington. Klassen appeared in two games before returning to the minors.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Drake Baldwin of Madison off to red-hot start for Braves
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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