Scott Baker Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1064
ERA	4.263
WHIP	1.254
BB/9	2.072
SO/9	7.097

Full name Timothy Scott Baker
Born 09/19/1981 in Shreveport, LA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Oklahoma State
Debut 05/07/2005
Drafted in the 2nd round (58th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2003 (signed for $600,000).

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Baker lacks a dominant pitch but is very steady and has four average or better offerings. He also has good size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) and athleticism, throws strikes and did very well against wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. The combination should make him a supplemental first-round pick. He throws 88-93 with life on his fastball and backs it up with an advanced changeup and a slider with cutter action. He also has a knuckle-curve that hitters chase out of the strike zone. Baker profiles as a solid No. 3 starter on a big league contender. He's a proven winner who has survived pitching at Oklahoma State's Allie P. Reynolds Stadium, one of college baseball's more difficult environments.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Baker reached Triple-A 13 months after signing. In his first full season, he started the Hall of Fame game for the Twins, who named him their minor league pitcher of the year. He continued to build on his success with a strong Arizona Fall League performance. Baker pitches at 91-93 mph with sink and occasionally reaches 95. He has plus fastball command, an advanced changeup and a smooth delivery. He also throws a quick-breaking slider and a knuckle-curve. He has an outstanding work ethic and is one of the most focused, intense prospects in the system. Though he's polished, Baker doesn't have a true out pitch and already is close to his ceiling. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter. He struggled in Triple-A, so he needs to prove he can maintain his stuff over a full season and get more advanced hitters out. Baker could get a chance to make Minnesota's rotation in spring training. He may need a few more starts in Triple-A before he's ready.
Drafted in the 36th round by the Pirates out of high school in 2000, Baker opted to attend Oklahoma State and emerged as a possible first-round pick with a breakthrough summer in the Cape Cod League in 2002. He tied for the Big 12 Conference lead with 12 victories last spring before the Twins grabbed him with a late second-round pick. Baker operates with command of four pitches and a polished delivery. He throws 88-93 mph with sink when he keeps his fastball down. He has plus fastball command, as well as an advanced changeup, a short, quick slider and a knuckle-curve. Baker's health history raises a minor red flag. He sat out most of his freshman season with a strained elbow ligament, which required a visit to Dr. James Andrews but not surgery. Baker admits he may not have been 100 percent as a sophomore either, though he's in tremendous physical condition now. Minnesota is excited about the pitching depth it acquired in 2003. While Errol Simonitsch and Dave Shinskie have higher ceilings despite being drafted behind him, Baker will move on the fast track. He'll join Simonitsch in the high Class A rotation and could finish his first full season in Double-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Baker reached Triple-A at the end of 2004, his first full pro season, and returned to pitch better than his record would indicate. Thirteen of his 22 outings qualified as quality starts, and he allowed two runs or fewer in three other outings. Baker doesn't overwhelm hitters but he can keep them off balance by throwing four pitches for strikes. His 89-93 mph fastball is more notable because of its sink and his ability to change speeds with it than its velocity. He also uses a knuckle-curve, a slider and a changeup that ranked among the IL's best. He has smooth mechanics and repeats his delivery well. He's still refining his pitches, however, particularly the command of his slider. He elevates his fastball at times this season and needs to pitch down in the zone more often. "He has Zach Duke-type intelligence," Rochester pitching coach Bobby Cuellar said. "He's along the same lines, command and control."
Although Baker pitched in a major Division I conference at Oklahoma State, his overall package is nonetheless impressive given his polish and feel for pitching. He opened the season at Class A Fort Myers where he posted a 37/6 strikeout to walk ratio and earned a promotion to New Britain in mid May. He held Portland to one hit in seven shutout innings in his Double-A debut and rolled from there, pitching into the sixth inning in eight of his 10 outings before making the jump to Triple-A. Baker isn't overpowering but commands a sinking, low-90s fastball beautifully, working it to both sides of the plate and keeps it down in the zone. His slider has nasty late break and rates as an above-average major league pitch. His changeup isn't as effective but also has potential to be a plus pitch. "This guy is the real deal," New Hampshire pitching coach Rick Adair said. "He's got lots of life on his fastball and the command is above average. He was as good as there was in the league this year."