A catcher hitting in the leadoff position in the lineup is rare. What’s even rarer?
A catcher hitting a leadoff home run.
That’s exactly what Braves All-Star backstop Drake Baldwin did on Thursday night in Atlanta’s series finale against the Dodgers at Truist Park. And it proved to be historic.
The Braves won the game to sweep the two-time defending World Series champions, and the only run of the contest from either side was Baldwin’s leadoff homer.
With that, Baldwin became the first catcher in the Modern Era (since 1900) to lead off a game with a home run that proved to be the only run in a 1-0 victory, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"I was not looking for a splitter on the first pitch of the game, I'll just say that," Baldwin said. "But it worked out well."
The 1-0 win on a leadoff homer is also the first for the Braves since at least 1900. And the occasion marks only the 33rd across the Majors in the Modern Era in which a leadoff homer proved to be the only run scored in a contest.
Leadoff homers are always special. They’re even more special if they represent the only run in a game. And a catcher belting a leadoff shot in a 1-0 game? That’s something else altogether.