Image: USA TODAY NETWORK
The St. Louis Cardinals prospect Luken Baker is having a breakout season that isn’t being talked about enough. Seemingly, the hype surrounding top prospects Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn has drawn the attention away from the outstanding season Baker is putting together. The power hitting first baseman has consistently performed all season long at Triple-A Memphis. Baker has pushed his game to another level this year and deserves a chance to prove himself in St. Louis.
Slugger Saw Limited Playing Time When Called Up
The power hitting first baseman/DH saw little playing time when he was called up this season. Baker only appeared in seven games and went 5-for-19 before being sent back down. Unfortunately for Baker, he’s blocked by the reigning National League MVP, Paul Goldschmidt. Furthermore, the at-bats at designated hitter were given to Nolan Gorman, top prospect Walker and Willson Contreras on a regular basis. Also, when super utilty-man Brendan Donovan hurt his throwing arm, he took all of the time at DH because the Cardinals still needed his excellent on base skills in their lineup. All of these factors seemingly caused Baker to be the odd man out.
Cardinals Prospect Baker is an Imposing Figure at the Plate
The Cardinals prospect Baker has to be an intimidating figure for opposing pitchers to face. At 6’4″ and 280 pounds, the right-handed, power hitting first baseman has raw power that doesn’t come around very often. His size alone is enough to give pitchers nightmares, add his mammoth homeruns to the mix, and it’s surely nightmare fuel.
Currently, Baker is hitting .337 with 52 extra-base hits. He has 31 homeruns, which leads the entire minor leagues, and a 1.162 OPS in only 80 games for Triple-A Memphis. This season has undoubtedly been a breakout year for Baker. It is a season in which he has greatly improved his batting average and on base percentage from prior years. He leads the entire Cardinals organization in homeruns, RBI’s, OBP, and is third in batting average. The slugger has obviously taken his game to the next level and deserves a shot. When he is called back up to finish out the season, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol would be wise to get him every day at bats. They need to see exactly what they have in Baker, and he’s earned it.
