ATLANTA, GA – Drake Baldwin‘s historic run to the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year Award has delivered a massive, tangible reward to the Atlanta Braves franchise that extends far beyond the personal triumph of the catcher. Thanks to the provisions of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, Baldwin’s success has netted the Braves a surprise bonus draft pick for the upcoming 2026 MLB Draft.
This unique reward highlights the strategic importance of promoting top prospects and is a moment of dual celebration for the Braves organization.
The Mechanism: Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI)
The Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was established in the current CBA to combat the practice of “service time manipulation” by rewarding teams that promote their elite prospects early in the season. The rule dictates:
- Eligibility: A player must be on at least two of the three major preseason Top 100 Prospect lists (MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN).
- Service Time: The player must be promoted early enough in the season to accrue a full year of service time.
- The Award: If that PPI-eligible rookie then wins the Rookie of the Year award (or finishes in the top three for MVP/Cy Young) in his pre-arbitration seasons, the team is awarded a bonus draft pick.
Drake Baldwin (the main character in this organizational windfall) met all criteria: he was a consensus Top 100 prospect and was on the Opening Day roster after Sean Murphy’s early-season injury, allowing him to accrue a full year of service.
The Franchise Opportunity
The Braves’ bonus pick is granted immediately after the first round, essentially giving the team two first-round picks in the 2026 Draft.
- Pick Position: The Braves’ current first-round pick is slated late in the round due to their winning record. The PPI pick will likely fall around Picks 26–30.
- Draft Pool: This extra pick is projected to add roughly $3.5 million to the Braves’ overall draft bonus pool. This increased capital provides the organization with greater financial flexibility to sign high-upside players later in the draft or to pursue players who drop due to signability concerns.
The victory is thus not just a personal honor for Baldwin but a massive strategic enhancement for the Braves’ future, reinforcing the success of their development system and giving the front office more firepower to continuously restock the farm system.
Baldwin’s defensive and offensive prowess was instrumental for the Braves in 2025. Given the team’s need for offense, would you like to review the latest market updates on Marcell Ozuna, who is the Braves’ biggest free-agent offensive departure?
