Nate Baker Stats & Scouting Report

IP	526
ERA	4.055
WHIP	1.407
BB/9	3.781
SO/9	6.844

Full name Nathaniel Barrett Baker
Born 12/27/1987 in Memphis, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Mississippi
Drafted in the 5th round (145th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 (signed for $176,000).

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As Barrett backed up, lefthander Nathan Baker and righthander Philip Irwin moved up. A 6-foot-3, 193-pounder, Baker showed better velocity this spring, sitting average with his 88-92 mph fastball and touching 93 at times. He also improved his slider, at times running his slider up to 78-79 mph, and his changeup gives him a third solid-average pitch. Baker worked mostly in shorter stints because he throws strikes consistently, but he's also around the plate a lot. Some teams have interest in stretching him out more as a starter and could reach up to get him in the first six rounds.

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Baseball is in Baker's bloodlines, as his grandfather Chuck Daniel pitched briefly in the majors. Baker worked mostly in relief in college at Mississippi but has pitched well as a starter in three years as a pro. His fastball sits at 88-92 mph and is effective because it has sink and tails away from righthanders. He commands his fastball to all four quadrants of the strike zone. His out pitch is a straight changeup with some fade, and hitters have trouble identifying it because of his smooth arm action. Baker has problems keeping his curveball down in the strike zone, and he'll need a more consistent breaking ball to remain a starter for the long haul. He doesn't miss a lot of bats and has little margin for error, but Baker competes well and has succeeded through high Class A. A potential back-of-the-rotation starter or middle reliever, he'll advance another step to Double-A in 2012.
Baker's father Tim was drafted by the Red Sox, and his grandfather, Chuck Daniel, played for the Tigers. He worked mostly in relief at Mississippi, and the knock against him was that the fastball was fine, but the secondary stuff lagged. He turned that around in his first full season, ramping up the fastball to 90-92 mph, as well as dramatically improving his slider and changeup. His overhand delivery gives him a downhill plane, and he gets some sink on the ball. His slider still projects as no better than an average pitch, and the changeup remains too firm, but both have come a long way in a short period, and that has Pirates officials encouraged. Baker has displayed good control, thanks in part to a tight delivery, and he goes right after hitters. He has not gotten many strikeouts or groundouts, and one of those two factors likely will need to improve for him to find his way through the higher levels. He began the year with West Virginia and held opponents to a .210 average, then fared well once promoted to high Class A, though his opponent average and walk rate both went up. He probably will start 2011 back in Bradenton.