Daniel
Baker

8/5/14 - Baker is a 6-foot-2 195-pound right-handed hitting third baseman.  He ran a 7.88 60 and had an exit velo of 86 mph.  At the plate, athletic set-up, loads against back leg, aggressive short path to contact, level to extension, hit line drive to middle of cage in batting practice, swing path creates back spin.  On the infield, posted one of the top infield velos of the event at 83 mph, athletic infield actions, soft hands, quick three-quarters throwing motion. Baker was 76-79 mph with is fastball, 80 mph max, some having slight run. Curveball at 64-69 mph, 11-to-5 shape, change up at 73 mph.  Throws fastball for a strike.  Struck out three, allowed a pair of hits and walked one in outing.  High three-quarters arm slot, throws with regular effort and stays in line as he gets down mound

11/2/14 - Baker is a physical 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hand hitting third baseman and right-handed pitcher. At the plate showed a tall set-up, wide stance, strides inline, no load, short path, upper half dominant, strong hands. Middle to pull approach, 83 exit velocity. Ran a 7.52 60-yard dash. In the infield showed athletic infield actions, soft hands, quick three-quarters throwing motion. Made strong, accurate throws, top throw at 84 mph – top mark among infielders. On the mound has a simple delivery, aggressive tempo, high three-quarters arm action, some effort, upright finish, repeats well. Fastball in 81-82 mph range, strikes. Short breaking ball with 11/5 shape, 71-76 mph. Change-up runs arm side, 76-77 mph. Physical 2016 right-hander that is another prime candidate to make a rapid rise over the next several months.

9/15/14 - Baker is a physical 6-foot-2, 185-pound right-hand hitting corner infielder and four-hole hitter for a talented KC Bullets team.  He’s a sure-handed defender at both corner infield spots.  At the plate, he showed bat speed, a middle of the field approach and understanding of the strike zone, rarely expanding the zone on borderline pitches.  On the weekend he went 7-for-12 at the plate and collected a pair of walks.

4/18/14 - Baker is a strong, athletic-framed 6-foot-2, 185-pound corner infielder that possesses overall strength with plenty of room to fill out. He is an two-sport athlete with a strong lower half and wide shoulders.  He is slowly being mixed back into North’s everyday line-up after sustaining a season-ending injury last year.  Currently he is their first baseman and 3-hole hitter.  At first base he showed first step quickness, athletic actions and balance.  He has good lateral quickness and range that he showed during the game including ranging to the fence to make a foul ball catch.  His sure hands enabled him to pick throws that were low or pulled him off the bag as he maintained control and proper footwork around the bag.  Throwing from a three-quarter slot with a loose, easy motion his ball has carry and accuracy even though he isn’t throwing to his full capability yet.  At the plate the right-hand hitter has an athletic, balanced stance with a smooth hand load and quick hands. Baker uses a toe tap timing mechanism with a short stride.  He had 3-for-4 day with back-spinned hard hit line drive singles. He ran a 4.62 home-to-1B on a turn with playable speed on the bases that seems to get better once he gets going.