What a week for this guy, huh? First, he gets to go to his first-career All-Star Game as a player after getting voted in as a starter and now he’s ended what has had to have been a whirlwind week with a performance over the weekend that was so good that MLB has recognized him as the National League Player of the Week.
In the clearest sign yet that Baldwin is back in the form that earned him those All-Star honors, Baldwin had a massive
series at the plate against the Rangers in Atlanta’s second-half opening series victory. The star catcher for the Braves racked up 10 hits (three of which were homers), eight RBI, five runs scored and he even threw in a stolen base as well. Five of those 10 hits came on Sunday alone, as Baldwin had himself a five-for-five game with two dingers. It was a dominant performance and one that was well worth the honor of getting named Player of the Week.
Here’s more from Major League Baseball’s official press release:
- The 25-year-old hit .714 (10-for-14) with three homers, eight RBI, a walk, five runs scored, a stolen base, a 1.357 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base percentage in three games.
- The Madison, Wisconsin native led the Majors in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS (2.090), hits and total bases (19); tied for first in RBI and runs scored; and tied for second in home runs.
- One of 36 first-time All-Stars in 2026, Baldwin racked up a career-best five hits on Sunday against Texas, becoming Atlanta’s first player with a five-hit game since Whit Merrifield in August 2024. Baldwin is the youngest Brave to achieve the feat since Michael Harris II had a five-hit game in June 2023 at the age of 22, and he became the first Brave with multiple home runs as part of a five-hit performance since his teammate Ozzie Albies in June 2021. Baldwin is just the sixth player in Braves history with a five-hit game as a catcher, joining Johnny Estrada (2004); Eddie Perez (1999); Biff Pocoroba (1982); Walker Cooper (1951); and Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi (1942).
- The 2025 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner opened the second half with a three-hit, five-RBI game on Friday against Texas, becoming the second Brave this season with a five-RBI performance, joining fellow catcher Jonah Heim. The Braves are one of two clubs to have multiple games of at least five RBI by catchers this season, joining the Orioles, and it is just the fifth time in franchise history that the Braves have achieved the feat twice in a single season, joining 2006, 2003 (3x), 1966 and 1950.
- The third-round pick in the 2022 Draft out of Missouri State University has not struck out in 34 consecutive plate appearances dating back to July 8th, marking the longest active streak in the Majors. With 10 hits and eight RBI in the three-game set with the Rangers, Baldwin became the first Braves player to reach those marks in a three-game set and the first to reach those marks in a series of any length since Harris had 10 hits and nine RBI against the Mets in a four-game series earlier this month.
This is the first time that a Braves player has been named Player of the Week so far this season and hopefully it won’t be the last, either.
