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Drake Baldwin, C, Braves: Braves catcher Sean Murphy took a wild pitch to the back that resulted in a cracked rib that will sideline him four to six weeks. That injury opens the door wider for a large role for Atlanta’s top prospect Drake Baldwin. The 24-year-old catcher batted .276/.370/.423 with 16 home runs in 124 games at Double-A and Triple-A last season. He kept raking in the Arizona Fall League and enters 2025 ranked No. 53 on the Top 100 Prospects. Baldwin was expected to share the Braves’ backstop duties this year, but now he could move up the depth chart to the top spot on Opening Day. Atlanta has four other catchers in camp: Chadwick Tromp on the 40-man roster and Curt Casali, Sandy Leon and Adam Zebrowski as non-roster players.

Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF, Red Sox: Campbell’s meteoric rise last year was one of the stories of the minor leagues, and it positioned the No. 4 prospect in baseball for a chance to win a spot on Boston’s big league roster out of spring training this year. While still early, Campbell is off to a slow start with nine strikeouts through his first 16 plate appearances. He did notch his first hit of the Grapefruit League on Monday, singling off new Orioles RHP Tomoyuki Sugano. Campbell notably played left field on Monday and the positional versatility will only help his cause as he contends with a crowded Red Sox depth chart.

Cam Smith, 3B, Astros: Smith was the focal point of the December blockbuster that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. Now, Smith is the focal point of Houston’s farm system—and one of its top spring training performers. Yesterday he hit a booming, bases-clearing, 412-foot triple to center field that was one of the farthest-struck balls of the day. In five Grapefruit League games, Smith has gone 4-for-7 with two homers, a triple and four walks. Chicago drafted Smith 14th overall out of Florida State in 2024 before they agreed to trade him for three-time all-star Tucker last offseason.

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics: Wilson didn’t wait long to make an impact Monday, ambushing the first fastball he saw from White Sox RHP Sean Burke for a two-run first-inning homer. The sixth pick in the 2023 draft is known for his freakish bat-to-ball skills but has shown limited power potential as a pro, hitting seven homers in the minors last season and none in 28 big league games. Wilson has shown his customary contact skills so far this spring but he’ll need to make better swing decisions in 2025, and he has yet to draw a walk through six games.

Caleb Durbin, 2B/3B, Brewers: That Durbin stole a base Monday against the Reds comes as little surprise for anyone familiar with his plus speed. The new Brewers infielder set the Arizona Fall League record for steals (29) last year and has 30 or more steals in each year of his three full professional seasons in the minors. But Durbin hasn’t always hit for a ton of over-the-fence power, so his first-inning homer off Reds LHP Nick Lodolo was a welcomed sight. Durbin turned around a 92 mph fastball that left the bat at 104.1 mph. He also roped a 103.9 mph single in the third inning off Lodolo. Durbin came over to the Brewers alongside Nestor Cortes in the Devin Williams trade and is competing for a utility role out of camp.

Editor’s Picks

Statcast Standouts: While it’s still early, J.J. Cooper identifies a handful of prospects posting impressive Statcast metrics this spring, including Konnor Griffin, Sebastian Walcott & others. Read more…

Fantasy Baseball Draft Hub: We’re here to help this draft season. You can find all of Baseball America’s fantasy rankings, analysis & more in one place to help you nail your drafts this spring. Read more…

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Each day, we’ll pick a prospect that has our attention.

March Church, RHP, Rangers: Church made his big league debut at the tail end of last season with a scoreless one-inning outing, then was one of the more underrated prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Now, the hard-throwing righty is out to prove he can hold down a regular role in Texas’ bullpen. He needed just 12 pitches to strike out three Royals hitters in a clean inning of work on Monday. Church relied exclusively on his upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider combination. Take early spring training velocities with a grain of salt, but Church’s slider averaged nearly 89 mph–roughly two ticks harder than his average in the minors in 2024. He’ll need to control his arsenal more consistently in 2025, and the Rangers brought in a bevy of veterans after overhauling their bullpen this offseason, but Church should factor into the mix at some point in 2025 if he continues to stack more outings like this one.

Quick Hits

News and notes from around spring training…

• Marlins LHP Dax Fulton threw two scoreless innings yesterday, striking out Astros regulars Jeremy Peña and Yainer Diaz

• Sebastian Walcott was re-assigned to minor league camp Monday

• Mets OF Drew Gilbert may miss all of spring training, according to MLB.com’s Anthony Dicomo.

• Yankees SS George Lombard has two homers through seven games this spring. He ranks No. 88 on the Top 100.

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