Drake Baldwin homers on his bobblehead night as Braves lose game 5-2 - CBS Atlanta

On a night celebrating his accomplishments, Drake Baldwin provided the highlight of Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Trieste Park, hitting a home run in his first at-bat.

Drake Baldwin hits homer on his night as Braves fall 5-2 to Athletics

Drake Baldwin gave Braves fans exactly what they saw in the first inning.

On the night he celebrated his breakthrough, the youngster had an incredible season, hitting a home run in his first at-bat during Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Oakland Athletics at Truist Park.

For Baldwin, it's not about trying to live in the moment.It just happened.

“I really didn't go up there expecting a home run,” Baldwin said after the game.

The home run, Baldwin's third in the first five games of the 2026 season, came on a night full of milestones.

Prior to the game, Baldwin was honored as the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year.It was also his first night.

"It was really cool," Baldwin said."I had family and friends here. You just try to get by."

And yes, he approves of the bobblehead.

"I think they did a good job," he said with a laugh.

The energy in the stadium was the same then.

Fans, including two kids CBS News Atlanta spoke to in the stands, erupted when Baldwin went down.

"Drake Baldwin just hit a home run. Let's go!"shouted a young fan.

Others proudly wore the No. 30 jersey, something Baldwin said still feels surreal.

"You dream like this," he said."Seeing people wearing your jersey or cheering for you says a lot about that fan."

"He's such a great young star. His style at the plate is incredible for a guy his age," added one longtime Braves fan.

Baldwin continued his strong start to the season, finishing the night 1-for-4 with a home run, RBI and walk.

His approach has been simple.

"I'm just looking for good pitches to hit and trying to get my swing going," he said."Three balls have found their way."

Even though the Braves' offense struggled on Wednesday, Baldwin isn't worried.

“It's baseball,” he said."You can't focus too much on the first games. It's a different match, a different situation."

Despite the loss, Baldwin seemed confident in the lineup and the club.

"There's a lot of confidence in the guys in that room," he said."Everybody goes there to compete."

But for fans, Wednesday was all about the rising star, and he had some moments that felt almost scripted.Hit a home run on the bobblehead of the night.

And for Baldwin, this is just the beginning.

"You want to go out there and put on your best performance," he said, "especially for the people who are coming up to you."