by Coleman Robbins
CHICAGO—Two outstanding rookies, one award. On September 3rd, Wrigley Field hosted Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, facing off against Cubs rookie pitcher Cade Horton—two of the National League’s brightest newcomers—faced off in a showdown that doubled as a preview for the Rookie of the Year race.
National League Rookie of the Year candidate, Drake Baldwin (.274 Avg, 19 HR, 80 RBI, .810 OPS) and the Braves faced off against Baldwin’s chief competition for Rookie of the Year, Cade Horton (11-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) on Wednesday, September 3rd.
For Baldwin, the Trip to the Midwest stirred memories.
“Yeah, it definitely went pretty fast,” Baldwin said of his rise from Madison, WI, to the big leagues. “Especially coming back to places like this. Like Chicago and Milwaukee, you get a lot of friends and family who come out, and you realize how many people were kinda beneficial in that route to get to the big leagues. Whether it be with baseball or just off the field stuff, it’s huge, it’s cool to see them in the stands, and it’s cool to see them supporting you. I think that all plays a huge part in getting to where I’m at now”.
A 2019 graduate of Madison West, Baldwin played three years at Missouri State and logged summers in the Northwoods League (Madison Mallards & K-Town Bobbers) before being selected in the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 96 overall).
Facing Horton on Wednesday, Baldwin knew the task ahead.
“I know he’s (Cade Horton) been having a great year, and I think it just kind of goes into what we do every day. Go get a game plan before the game and try to execute that—whether it be hunting certain pitches, hunting certain zones, or just going out there and competing. I mean, obviously, he’s a good pitcher, and he’s having a really good year. It’s going to be a team approach to try and go out there and win a ballgame.”
Back in high school, Drake Baldwin and Cade Horton weren’t just baseball players—Drake led Wisconsin in hockey goals as a junior (43 goals, 70 points, and 97.9 SOG% in 24 GP). Cade Horton passed for 3,084 yards and rushed for 1,149 yards, with seven interceptions and 26 touchdowns in his senior football season.
On this night, Horton stole the spotlight, shoving five no-hit innings with six strikeouts and retiring Baldwin twice on sharp lineouts. Drake went 2 for 8 in the series with two walks and one strikeout.
The Wrigley crowd gave Baldwin plenty of attention, and fans sported “Rake Baldwin” shirts in the bleachers. “Yeah, I like it (Rake Baldwin nickname). Some of the shirts and jerseys that I’ve seen have been pretty cool.”
But he’s careful not to get caught up in the Rookie of the Year hype.
“I hear people say rookie of the year, and I don’t want to think too much about it. I mean, it’s obviously cool to be considered in those types of conversations.”
The series also marked a reunion for Baldwin with Cubs infielder Matt Shaw. Drake Baldwin hosed former Team USA Premier12 teammate Matt Shaw, stealing second in the bottom of the fifth of Wednesday’s game. Drake was asked about the embrace he had with Shaw at third on Monday, Sept. 1st:
“We were on Team USA together and got to know each other pretty well. So it was pretty cool to see him. I think tomorrow we’re going to catch up again. I mean, it’s just cool to see him on TV now. He’s had a ton of success since he came back up for the second time. I knew it would happen, I saw the player he was for that Team USA team. It’s fun to see him, you see how good of a player he is, but then you know how good of a guy he is, which makes it even cooler”.
At the end of the series, Baldwin left Chicago with his Rookie of the Year campaign intact. Horton strengthened his case with another dominant outing, and fans were treated to a preview of what baseball’s next decade has to offer.
Aomg NL rookies, Baldwin finished the season:
- 1st in batting average (.274),
- 1st in bWAR (3.3) and fWAR (3.1) for catchers,
- 1st in RBI (80)
- 2nd in home runs (19).
- Best OPS by a rookie catcher (min .400 PA) since 2012 (.810) and
- 2nd best two-strike OPS in MLB (.750), trailing only Shohei Ohtani.
Horton went 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and 33 walks in 118 innings. Making his debut on May 10th, Horton struggled to get going, giving up seven runs against Houston on June 27th. Horton responded to his rocky start with a 1.36 ERA in 14 starts, propelling Chicago into the playoffs.
Cade Horton put the Cubs on his back, bringing them to their first postseason birth since 2020. Will Horton have enough to best Drake’s historic season? Only time will tell.
Both rookies proved why they’re more than just first-year standouts—they’re cornerstone players for their franchises for years to come.
