Lead: Drake Baldwin was named the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the organization announced in November 2025. The Atlanta catcher’s breakout season — 446 plate appearances across 124 games with a .274/.341/.469 line and 19 home runs — not only earned individual honors but also triggers a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) bonus draft pick for the Braves in the 2026 draft. Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs finished second and will receive a retroactive full service year; Caleb Durbin of the Milwaukee Brewers placed third. The vote finalizes award outcomes that affect roster construction, team draft capital and service-time calculations heading into 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Drake Baldwin won the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year; he posted a .274/.341/.469 slash line with 19 home runs in 446 plate appearances over 124 games.
- Baldwin’s 125 wRC+ indicates he was 25% better than a league-average hitter; FanGraphs credited him with 3.1 WAR for the season.
- Cade Horton finished second in voting and will be awarded a full year of service time after finishing with 118 innings pitched and a 2.67 ERA.
- Horton’s peripheral metrics (20.4% K rate, 6.9% BB rate, 42.3% ground-ball rate) suggest some luck factors — .258 BABIP and a 78.3% strand rate — influenced his ERA.
- Caleb Durbin placed third after appearing in 136 games with 506 plate appearances, a .256/.334/.387 line, 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases; he contributed 5 DRS and 2 OAA at third base.
- Baldwin’s award automatically awards Atlanta a bonus draft pick just after the first round in 2026 under the PPI rules in the current CBA.
- Horton earned 142 service days in 2025 — 30 days short of the 172 needed for a full season — but the second-place finish upgrades him retroactively to a full season.
Background
Drake Baldwin entered 2025 as one of baseball’s top catching prospects after finishing 2024 at Triple-A. Atlanta opened the year intending Sean Murphy to be the primary catcher, which created a scenario where Baldwin could have begun 2025 in Triple-A to accumulate regular reps rather than serve as a major-league backup. That plan shifted when Murphy suffered a rib fracture in early March with an expected four- to six-week recovery timeline, giving Baldwin an Opening Day roster spot after a strong spring training.
The Prospect Promotion Incentive was introduced in the current collective bargaining agreement to reduce service-time manipulation and reward clubs that promote high-level prospects early enough for them to earn a full service year. If a promoted prospect meets award criteria (such as Rookie of the Year) and accumulates the requisite time on the active roster, the club receives an extra draft pick after the first round in the following draft. The rule has reframed how teams weigh short-term roster decisions against long-term draft capital.
Main Event
Baldwin seized the Opening Day opportunity and produced consistently; even after Murphy returned to health in early April, Baldwin’s offensive output kept him in a prominent role. The two handlers split catching duties for several months, and Murphy later landed on the injured list in September with a right hip labral tear, which extended Baldwin’s workload down the stretch. Through 124 games and 446 plate appearances, Baldwin’s 19 homers and 125 wRC+ painted the picture of an above-average offensive catcher in 2025.
Cade Horton’s path was similar in starting-spot dynamics. Horton had minor Triple-A depth work to his name in 2024 and began 2025 in Triple-A as well, but the Cubs needed rotation depth after injuries to Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. Called up on May 10, Horton stayed with Chicago the rest of the way aside from a late-season stint on the injured list with a rib fracture. He finished with 118 innings and a 2.67 ERA, numbers that helped him secure second place in the balloting.
Caleb Durbin was not widely viewed as a consensus top prospect entering 2025, yet he carved out a full-time role in Milwaukee after an April call-up. Durbin appeared in 136 games and reached the plate 506 times, delivering a .256/.334/.387 line with 11 home runs and 18 steals. Defensive metrics credited him with five Defensive Runs Saved and two Outs Above Average at third base, providing both offensive and defensive value for the Brewers.
Analysis & Implications
Baldwin’s award has immediate roster and draft implications for Atlanta. Because he was a consensus top prospect who spent the full season on the major-league roster and met award criteria, the Braves will receive a bonus pick just after the first round in the 2026 draft under the PPI provisions. That extra selection can be valuable for replenishing a system or packaging in trades; teams tend to place premium value on picks that sit high in the compensatory range.
Horton’s second-place finish carries outsized long-term significance for him and the Cubs. He finished the year with 142 service days — 30 days short of the 172 required for a full service year — but the vote elevates him to a full year of service. For Horton, that moves his free-agent timeline forward, placing him on track to reach free agency after the 2030 season rather than 2031, altering the club’s longer-term payroll and arbitration projections.
From a performance-evaluation perspective, Horton’s underlying metrics temper some of the surface-level glow of his 2.67 ERA. Estimators such as FIP (3.58) and SIERA (4.26) suggest his ERA outperformed predictive measures by roughly a run, and his .258 BABIP and 78.3% strand rate indicate favorable sequencing and fortune. Teams will weigh those elements when projecting his future role and value.
Comparison & Data
| Player | PA / IP | Key Rate/Slash | Notable Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Baldwin | 446 PA (124 games) | .274/.341/.469 | 19 HR, 125 wRC+, 3.1 WAR (FanGraphs) |
| Cade Horton | 118 IP | 2.67 ERA | 20.4% K rate, 6.9% BB rate, 3.58 FIP, 4.26 SIERA |
| Caleb Durbin | 506 PA (136 games) | .256/.334/.387 | 11 HR, 105 wRC+, 18 SB, 5 DRS, 2 OAA |
The table captures core counting and rate metrics for the three top finishers. Baldwin’s value came via above-average offense for a catcher and regular playing time; Horton produced strong run prevention but with peripherals that suggest some regression risk; Durbin offered a versatile everyday profile with baserunning and defensive value. These different archetypes help explain how voters balanced counting stats, rate production and positional context in the final ballots.
Reactions & Quotes
The BBWAA posted the official voting results, a procedural announcement that confirmed Baldwin as the recipient of the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year award. That formal release summarizes voting totals and places the three top finishers in order for public record; outlets and teams then contextualized what the outcomes mean for service time and draft compensation.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America named Drake Baldwin the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, finalizing the award vote and related service-time outcomes.
BBWAA (official announcement)
Analysts from site-based metrics services highlighted Baldwin’s offensive production and noted that catcher position value amplified his win. Coverage emphasized the 125 wRC+ and 3.1 FanGraphs WAR as central arguments for voters focused on season-long contribution rather than prospect pedigree alone.
FanGraphs credited Baldwin with 3.1 wins above replacement for the 2025 season, a primary evidence point cited by advanced-stat advocates.
FanGraphs (analysis)
Cubs and prospect analysts immediately flagged Horton’s service-time gain as the most consequential non-playing outcome of the vote. Commentators noted the 142 service days figure and how the second-place finish will now adjust his timeline toward earlier arbitration and free agency, a contractual shift with long-term financial impact.
Cade Horton’s runner-up finish will be processed as a full service year for 2025, moving his free-agent clock forward and altering Cubs roster planning.
Team and league service-time reporting (analysis)
Unconfirmed
- Specific internal Braves deliberations about whether to keep Baldwin in the majors once Murphy returned are not public; team rationale beyond injury timeline is not fully disclosed.
- Long-term defensive grading for Baldwin remains subject to revision; most outlets considered his defense slightly below average, but cross-service metrics differ and may converge with more data.
Bottom Line
Drake Baldwin’s Rookie of the Year award recognizes a season in which he delivered above-average offense for a catcher and stayed in a primary role long enough to satisfy PPI conditions, earning Atlanta a valuable 2026 extra pick. The decision demonstrates the PPI system working as intended: promotion and award recognition lead to draft compensation that offsets competitive advantages teams gain from early player exposure.
Cade Horton’s second-place finish has outsized contractual importance, converting his 142 service days into a credited full season and shifting his future arbitration and free-agent schedule. Meanwhile, Caleb Durbin’s third-place finish highlights the depth of impactful rookies in 2025 — players who provided tangible everyday value whether or not they entered the season as top-ranked prospects. Clubs and analysts will be watching how these outcomes influence promotion timing, roster choices and draft strategy in 2026 and beyond.
Sources
- MLB Trade Rumors (sports news coverage)
- FanGraphs (advanced metrics / analysis)
- Baseball-Reference (statistical database)
- Baseball Writers’ Association of America (official award body)