Exit Dusty, enter Darren.
After the legendary Dusty Baker retired from his Astros managerial role at the conclusion of the 2023 season, his son, Darren Baker now has a chance to put the icing on the Baker legacy cake with a potential spot in the majors.
Darren, a second baseman on the Nationals, has been with his dad’s former squad since being drafted in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Darren Baker Excelling In Minor Leagues
In the minors, Darren shined with 265 hits and 38 stolen bases in 925 at-bats — earning him a spot in the Futures Game in 2022.
At his best, Baker smoked the baseball as part of the AAA Rochester Red Wings with a four-hit showing against the Bisons. He also showed off his legs Apr. 29 against the Saints with a double and two stolen bases.
In 2023, he raked with a .273 batting average and 41 RBI in AAA. As a result, he earned an invite to Washington’s 2024 Spring Training and looks to slot behind Luis Garcia Jr. in the depth chart.
So far, Darren has only appeared in three of the Nationals’ seven Spring Training contests and has only appeared at the plate twice. In his most recent appearance, Darren faced his dad’s old team, the Houston Astros, and it was nearly déjà vu.
In 2023, Darren played the same squad, this time including his old man. There, he crushed a game-tying grand slam in the ninth – helping his squad win 11-7.
If the young Baker is able to turn heads throughout the month, he could lock in a spot in the majors at the age of 25 — following in the footsteps of his pops, who in his 19-year MLB career hit 242 homers and helped invent the “High Five” during his time with the Dodgers, where he also recorded his only 30-homer season.
With that comes hefty expectations for Darren, especially with Dusty’s playing career resulting in a World Series and two All-Star appearances. He’s already put himself in prime position just four seasons in.
As the son of an MLB legend, the bright lights don’t bother Darren.
Unfortunately for Darren, this time there were only runners on 1st and 2nd, but he still managed to draw a four-pitch walk. Though the Nationals were unable to capitalize, his efforts nearly propelled his squad over the Astros again — this time losing 10-8.
Maybe Darren needed his dad on the other side for things to go completely how he wanted, and that’s still possible with Dusty taking a front office role with the Giants as a special advisor.
Dusty’s presence isn’t the only thing that he left with Darren. His clutch gene, as illustrated, has allowed Darren to perform at his highest when it matters the most. Along with that, in an interview with MLBbro in 2022, Darren said he excels at doing a “lot of little things that help the team win,” and he may look to use those things to elevate himself to the majors come Opening Day.
Regardless, Darren has made a name for himself throughout his career, and he will look to continue it as Spring Training continues.
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