Andrew Baker has a number of the finest uncooked stuff within the Philadelphia Phillies system. He additionally has among the best backstories. A 22-year-old right-hander with a high-octane heater and a breaking ball that’s arguably higher, Baker transformed from catcher to pitcher in junior school and initially hated it. Furthermore, he’d as soon as been scared to take the mound.
Baker — an Eleventh-round decide in 2021 who completed final 12 months in Double-A — is presently in big-league camp with the Phillies. He mentioned his atypical path to prospect prominence over the weekend.
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David Laurila: You have been a highschool catcher and didn’t turn into a pitcher till school. Is that appropriate?
Andrew Baker: “Sure. I did the total change originally of my freshman 12 months in 2019, so I’ve actually solely been pitching significantly for about 4 years.”
Laurila: Did you pitch if you have been a child?
Baker: “I did. I began pitching once I was eight or 9 years outdated and stop after I used to be 11 as a result of a head damage. I took a line drive off the precise aspect of the temple space. When it hit me, I simply went black. Lengthy story brief, I had a significant concussion and needed to have surgical procedure; it was a process to go in and cease bleeding. The surgical procedure was easy, however on the identical time, what head surgical procedure is straightforward? After that, I simply type of put pitching down. At first, I used to be scared to get again on the market, after which it was extra in order that I used to be a reasonably good catcher.”
Laurila: Are there any lingering results?
Baker: “The concern of pitching is gone — I’m previous that time — however I nonetheless can’t hear out of my proper ear. Apart from that, nothing actually.”
Laurila: You don’t ever get flashbacks on line drives again by way of the field?
Baker: “No. I had an occasion final 12 months in Double-A the place a man hit a extremely exhausting groundball again at me and I caught it. Any person did ask me ‘Hey, that was most likely the hardest one you’ve had; did it scare you in any respect?’ I used to be like, ‘Nah.’ That doesn’t actually hassle me anymore.”
Laurila: How lengthy was it earlier than you began taking part in once more after the surgical procedure?
Baker: “It was most likely three or 4 months later.”
Laurila: That was at what place?
Baker: “Catcher.”
Laurila: You have been getting back from a severe concussion and taking part in a place the place you possibly can take foul-tips off the masks?
Baker: “I imply, it was 12-year-old ball. I used to be simply eager to get again on the market to play. From there I caught all through highschool.”
Laurila: No pitching appearances in any respect?
Baker: “After I received older, type of 16-17, they type of threw me on the market just a little bit simply because I had arm. Nevertheless it wasn’t something severe.”
Laurila: Did you go to a big highschool?
Baker: “No. I went to a small faculty in Alabama — a Christian faculty that my brother and sister went to — and I graduated with 33 individuals.”
Laurila: What was the transition from catcher to pitcher like?
Baker: “It was very exhausting. It was powerful, and I hated it. My senior 12 months of highschool, I used to be doing a bunch of showcases. I wished Chipola for junior school and signed up for his or her showcase, though not a lot for the thought of getting a scholarship there, however extra so that each smaller faculty there would have a look at me.
“I known as my journey ball coach to see if we may get in some work — it was Tyler Courson, who’s an enormous journey ball man in Alabama — and he stated he had a showcase that weekend. I requested if I may are available to do some catching work, and he stated OK. I used to be 18 at this level. So, I went in and did catching stuff and he stated, ‘Man, you’ve received a robust arm. Do you pitch anymore?’ I stated, ‘Not since I used to be 11; perhaps typically in class video games, however nothing like severe.’ He was like, ‘Let’s go on the market and see what you are able to do.’
“We threw this little bullpen and I had horrible mechanics, however after the second pitch he informed the blokes, ‘Go get a radar gun, go get a radar gun.’ Afterwards, he stated to me, ‘You already know you have been sitting 90, proper?’ I used to be like, ‘Nice, however what’s that received to do with something?’”
Laurila: What occurred subsequent?
Baker: “I went all the way down to the showcase at Chipola, and on the shape you needed to put down a major place and a secondary place. I put down catcher for my major, and thought, ‘Shoot, if I throw 90, I ought to put pitcher down for my secondary.’ So I did the catching stuff at that camp, then went and threw the bullpen. I ended up hitting 92. Per week later, I received a suggestion from Chipola.”
Laurila: And a 12 months later you bought drafted.
Baker: “Sure. I received taken within the 2019 draft by the Dodgers [in the 16th round]. I additionally received a scholarship to Auburn, and I turned [the Dodgers] all the way down to go to Auburn. That was the 12 months that COVID hit, so we performed 16 video games after which the remainder received cancelled. Then they made the eligibility guidelines, so I transferred again to Chipola.”
Laurila: How exhausting have been you throwing when the Phillies drafted you two years later, and the way exhausting are you throwing now?
Baker: “I got here in sitting wherever from 95 to 97. Proper now, at this second, I’m 97 to 99. Final 12 months through the season, I used to be wherever from 99 to 102. The 102 was simply as soon as.”
Laurila: What’s the motion profile in your fastball?
Baker: “I get loads of experience. I couldn’t inform you how a lot, although. I don’t like to have a look at stuff like that on a regular basis. I don’t actually see a degree in diving into it besides in sure situations the place we perhaps must tweak one thing.”
Laurila: I’ve learn that whilst you throw exhausting, your finest pitch is definitely your breaking ball. Do you agree with that?
Baker: “I’ve heard individuals say that, however I feel each of them are positive. I don’t really feel that I’ve a ‘finest’ pitch. I imply, it’s undoubtedly an out-pitch for me, and it’s a pitch that I can use to get again within the rely, however I feel the fastball performs simply in addition to the slider.”
Laurila: It’s a slider, and never a curveball?
Baker: “I might say it’s a slider. It’s received a special motion profile than a slider — it type of falls off — but it surely’s wherever from 85 to 87, so I feel it’s exhausting sufficient to be a slider. I’m additionally throwing a cutter now. That’s since final September.”
Laurila: What about your command?
Baker: “It’s undoubtedly been an issue up to now. That’s been my working factor: Nice stuff, however he’s received to get the command higher. However up to now 12 months, my command has made an enormous bounce from what it was once. It’s persevering with to get higher.”
Laurila: Do you are feeling that you just’ve made the transition from thrower to pitcher?
Baker: “Sure. I’m not the place I wish to be, by any means, however I’m undoubtedly going on the market with a way that I understand how to pitch now.”
Laurila: On the identical time, I assume you’d establish as an influence pitcher?
Baker: “Sure. Completely.”
