Follow the Prospects: Darren Baker, 2B

[welch]

He's going to end up a solid utility player.

Drop Nassim Nunez and promote Baker. He hits and plays a good 2B. Vargas can back up CJ and whoever plays 3B, whether Senzel or Trey.

[welch]

Don't look now...or do look, because Darren Baker is hitting .329 with .793 OPS. He has reached safely in 16 straight games, and leads the Red Wings with 10 stolen bases. He has been playing LF, as Jackson Cluff plays 2B. Cluff is hitting .350 with an .831 OPS.

[Smithian]

Don't look now...or do look, because Darren Baker is hitting .329 with .793 OPS. He has reached safely in 16 straight games, and leads the Red Wings with 10 stolen bases. He has been playing LF, as Jackson Cluff plays 2B. Cluff is hitting .350 with an .831 OPS.

Good start for Baker

Cluff has barely played, but after a not terrible season in Harrisburg, he has the opportunity to make a run at being taken seriously again by being in Rochester.

[Section214]

I know they have been using him as a utility guy, but how does he stack up defensively? Love his OBP and stolen bases, would love to see him carve out a role.

[welch]

Baker seems to be a good fielder; described as "acrobatic" last season.

He went 2-for-3 tonight, raising his average to .342 / .814. Add another game to his on-base streak.

[nobleisthyname]

Age: 25
Team rank: 26
Current level: AAA

March/April recap
Games played at position
2B: 14
LF: 5

PA

|

AVG

|

OBP

|

SLG

|

HR

|

SB

|

K%

|

BB%

|

ISO

|

OPS

|

wRC+

85

|

.342

|

.417

|

.397

|

0

|

11

|

15.3%

|

11.8%

|

.055

|

.814

|

120

[nobleisthyname]

Good walk numbers which makes his zero power less noticeable. Still would like to see him play something other than just 2B/LF.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Good walk numbers which makes his zero power less noticeable. Still would like to see him play something other than just 2B/LF.

he's not Young for speed, but Young is showing there is value in high walk and average with good baserunning skills. I don't think he displaces LGarciaJr, but he is nice depth

[imref]

Stole 2 bases in the opener, up to 16 on the year.

[Smithian]

Good walk numbers which makes his zero power less noticeable. Still would like to see him play something other than just 2B/LF.

If he was a righty, he'd actually be a perfect fit for a promotion should Vargas be traded. As it stands, I think he needs Garcia to get hurt or to self implode to make sense for a callup. Lipscomb, for his struggled, has jumped up to the be utility infielder and the OF may be busy soon.

[IanRubbish]

Stole 2 bases in the opener, up to 16 on the year.

With the team going nowhere this year, would much rather watch Darren Baker than Senzel, Gallo, Meneses, etc.  He could DH or play 1B as well, can't do much worse than having Keibert DH.

[welch]

Baker is "merely" hitting .310 with a .758 OPS.

Baker can be a better pinch-runner than Nunez. He has hit at every level of the minors. He fields.

https://www.milb.com/player/darren-baker-671117

[welch]

Updating for 2024. Currently hitting .350 with an .850 OPS and 7 stolen bases already.

- Baker was drafted as a favor to his dad
- Baker isn't a prospect
- Baker got lucky at Fredricksburg (.318 / .352 / .394 in 18 games)
- Baker won't be able to hit at A+ (.273 / .333 / .367 in 62 games)
- Baker won't get past AA (.290 / .356 / .361 in 43 games)
- Baker will be overmatched at AAA (.273 / .338 / .340 in 99 games in 2023)
- Baker doesn't have enough minor league games to draw any conclusions
- Baker is at best a backup IF at the major league level <-----YOU ARE HERE
- Baker is an everyday player at the major league level
- Baker is an all-star
- Baker is a future hall of famer
- Baker is traded before free agency because he won't accept 13 / $600 million
- Baker posts .202 / .258 / .217 for the Mets in the first year of his 13 / $600 million contract
- Baker attacks a fan
- Baker retires
- Baker signs with the Long Island Ducks

Just a reminder.

[IanRubbish]

Baker isn't a washed up 31 year old Rizzo hopes to trade at the deadline for a Tom Seaver rookie card. 
Baker isn't someone Rizzo traded a star for, and who would then be eligible for unmerited playing time or a really unmerited contract.
Baker isn't a washed up 30 year old who pals around with Davey.
Baker isn't a Rule 5 Rizzo pick who could make him like a hero if he somehow panned out.
Baker was a low risk 10th rounder and therefore can't make Rizzo look good anyway.
Baker should have moved out of the way of home plate in the 2002 World Series when he was three years old without relying on JT Snow to pick him up.
Baker can OPS .800 with 50 stolen bases and will not play because Nasim Nunez, Ildemaro Vargas, Nick Senzel, Joey Meneses, Joey Gallo, etc, none of whom will be on any championship team, all fit the definitions above that get you onto the Nats MLB roster and lineup.

[Slateman]

Baker is "merely" hitting .310 with a .758 OPS.

Baker can be a better pinch-runner than Nunez. He has hit at every level of the minors. He fields.

https://www.milb.com/player/darren-baker-671117

Uh ... Nunez is a substantially better runner and fielder than Baker

[Slateman]

Baker can OPS .800 with 50 stolen bases and will not play because Nasim Nunez, Ildemaro Vargas, Nick Senzel, Joey Meneses, Joey Gallo, etc, none of whom will be on any championship team, all fit the definitions above that get you onto the Nats MLB roster and lineup.

If he can, why isnt he? Baker hasnt posted an .800 OPS at any level in which he's had more than 25 plate apperances.

He and Trey Lipscomb are basically the same player. Good, but weak contact. No power. Average speed. Decent defense.

Not sure why we would bench Luis Garcia for that

[IanRubbish]

Uh ... Nunez is a substantially better runner and fielder than Baker

LOL Nunez is a career .233 minor league hitter.  Plenty of other people can run fast and have zero ability to hit a baseball.

[IanRubbish]

If he can, why isnt he? Baker hasnt posted an .800 OPS at any level in which he's had more than 25 plate apperances.

He and Trey Lipscomb are basically the same player. Good, but weak contact. No power. Average speed. Decent defense.

Not sure why we would bench Luis Garcia for that

He's got 16 SB, a 396 on base, and BB/K over .7.   He should certainly play over has beens and never weres like Gallo, Senzel, Meneses, and would be more productive at DH than Keibert.  Lipscomb has nowhere near Baker's plate discipline nor speed.

[Slateman]

He's got 16 SB, a 396 on base, and BB/K over .7.   He should certainly play over has beens and never weres like Gallo, Senzel, Meneses, and would be more productive at DH than Keibert.  Lipscomb has nowhere near Baker's plate discipline nor speed.

He has a sub .800 OPS with a .383 BABIP. He's pretty much limited to 2B, but Garcia and Senzel are substantially outplaying him at the MLB level. And I dont see how a light hitting 2B would be a decent DH. He's not going to hit .300 at the MLB level.

If you want to play him at the major league level, fine, but dont pretend he's an improvement over what we have.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

LOL Nunez is a career .233 minor league hitter.  Plenty of other people can run fast and have zero ability to hit a baseball.

Right. The right way to knock Nunez is his bat. The dude has plus speed and plus defensive chops. He's 60 speed and 60 field right now.  Baker may become an average fielder and has average speed. The difference is Baker can make contact while Nunez can mostly hope for an HBP.

As for Nunez, I don't see how a year iced on the MLB bench will make him a better prospect than Made, who is hitting well in Wilmington. He also should be an above average runner and fielder, not quite at Nunez's level but much more likely to be able to hit enough to be rosterable.

[Slateman]

Right. The right way to knock Nunez is his bat. The dude has plus speed and plus defensive chops. He's 60 speed and 60 field right now.  Baker may become an average fielder and has average speed. The difference is Baker can make contact while Nunez can mostly hope for an HBP.

As for Nunez, I don't see how a year iced on the MLB bench will make him a better prospect than Made, who is hitting well in Wilmington. He also should be an above average runner and fielder, not quite at Nunez's level but much more likely to be able to hit enough to be rosterable.

Nunez is currently 98th percentile in sprint speed. Thats faster than Trea Turner,  Jacob Young, and CJ Abrams.  Baker is nowhere near the runner and fielder Nunez is.

Nunez cant hit. Im not saying he can. But Baker is, at best, a LHP platoon bat at second base.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Nunez is currently 98th percentile in sprint speed. Thats faster than Trea Turner,  Jacob Young, and CJ Abrams.  Baker is nowhere near the runner and fielder Nunez is.

Nunez cant hit. Im not saying he can. But Baker is, at best, a LHP platoon bat at second base.

Nunez is Quintin Berry. Somebody will always roster him as a pinch runner / defensive replacement late in the year in a pennant drive. Baker is not even a utility guy because he can't play on the left side of the infield. Garcia gets hurt? fine, add Baker to the roster and give him a shot, and hope he does more with it than Alu did.

[Slateman]

Nunez is Quintin Berry. Somebody will always roster him as a pinch runner / defensive replacement late in the year in a pennant drive. Baker is not even a utility guy because he can't play on the left side of the infield. Garcia gets hurt? fine, add Baker to the roster and give him a shot, and hope he does more with it than Alu did.

Berry or Terrance Gore.

[IanRubbish]

He's pretty much limited to 2B

He's been playing some LF in Rochester.   He'd be an upgrade over the 30 something grunts there or at DH with the MLB club.

[welch]

Nunez is currently 98th percentile in sprint speed. Thats faster than Trea Turner,  Jacob Young, and CJ Abrams.  Baker is nowhere near the runner and fielder Nunez is.

Nunez cant hit. Im not saying he can. But Baker is, at best, a LHP platoon bat at second base.

And that makes Baker a better baseball player than Nunez. Base-running is not a matter of straight-line sprint speed, yet Nunez is being used like Herb Washington. And it seems likely that Miami would drop him again if the Nats give him back.

Baker steals bases, and has led Rochester in steals. Baker has hit .300 at every level in the minors. He is described as an acrobatic 2B. Baker does not hit home runs, but so what? Pete Runnels averaged 2.7 WAR over 14 seasons, with 4 homers a year on a .291 average and .753 OPS.

This Nats team carries Senzel, a .200 hitter who was a decent major leaguer only in 2019, his rookie year. The Nats carry Robles, who hits .080 and who was major league quality only in his rookie year, also 2019. It carries Nunez. Three dead spots on the 26-man roster.