The Atlanta Braves have the best of both worlds.
Established veterans in their prime, like reigning National League Cy Young winner Chris Sale, highlight a roster ready to win now. The Braves also have young guys who can lead Atlanta into the future once Sale and others ride off into the sunset.
Whenever a team has a rookie who looks like a future star, it feels like hitting the jackpot, so Braves front office members ought to buy a lottery ticket because they’ve managed to hit the jackpot twice.
MLB.com conducted a poll on who they think will win Rookie of the Year in each league, and the top two spots in the NL belong to AJ Smith-Shawver and Drake Baldwin, respectively.
Although Smith-Shawver started a few games in 2023 and 2024, including a couple of rough postseason outings, he is still considered a rookie because he entered this season with less than 50 career innings pitched.
While that prior experience didn’t affect his status as a rookie, it seems to have given him confidence and has led to an exceptional start to the 2025 season.
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Smith-Shawver leads all qualified NL rookies with a 2.33 ERA and 40 strikeouts. He’s only allowed one run over his last three starts, and batters are hitting .218 against him.
Smith-Shawver looks to be a fixture of the rotation for years to come, and his battery mate has been equally impressive.
Baldwin, unlike Smith-Shawver, had no major-league experience before this season and was thrust into the starting lineup on Opening Day after Sean Murphy got injured.
As the No. 1 prospect for the Braves, plenty of pressure was placed on Baldwin right from the jump, but he has exceeded even the loftiest expectations.
Baldwin leads all qualified NL rookies with a .357 average, .400 on-base, and .983 OPS. Aside from the impressive offensive numbers, Baldwin has been solid behind the plate. He ranks in the 80th percentile in framing, per Baseball Savant.
Smith-Shawver and Baldwin have been paramount in helping Atlanta turn its season around after an 0-7 start, and they're both deserving of the NL Rookie of the Year award.
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