Andrew Baker’s path to pitching is unusual and pretty inspiring. He grew up as a catcher and only returned to pitching after a long detour that began with a traumatic childhood injury. When he was eleven years old he was struck in the head by a line drive while pitching. The blow caused him to black out and ultimately left him deaf in his right ear. Multiple surgeries followed and he moved behind the plate for years because he was understandably hesitant to get back on the mound. His return to pitching came at Chipola College, a powerhouse junior college program that recognized his arm strength and encouraged him to convert full time. He briefly transferred to Auburn, but the pandemic limited him to only six relief innings in 2020. He returned to Chipola in 2021 and that season put him back on the radar for pro scouts.
The Phillies selected Baker in the eleventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft and went over slot to sign him for two hundred thousand dollars. The pick was based almost entirely on his raw arm strength and the belief that his stuff could play in a professional bullpen. Even though he was relatively new to pitching, the Phillies saw a reliever with a chance to move quickly if he could find enough command to let his stuff shine.
Sign up for a free subscription and get our newsletters delivered to your inbox. Or, sign up for a paid subscription ($5 per month/$45 per year) and get deeper coverage of the Phillies and their Minor League affiliates.
And, it all comes with a 7-Day Free Trial.
Minor League Progression and Performance
Baker has moved through the system at a steady pace and reached Double A Reading in his first full professional season. His numbers have been a mix of electric strikeout rates and bouts of wildness. The organization has consistently challenged him because his raw stuff is so advanced. His fastball has touched one hundred two miles per hour and has averaged around 98.5 mph. His breaking ball is a hard, mid-eighties power curve that some pitch models classify as a slider. It has been his most reliable swing and miss pitch and at one point generated a remarkable sixty percent whiff rate. He has experimented with a cutter to give hitters a different look, but that pitch is still developing.
From a sabermetric standpoint, Baker’s strengths show up in his strikeout ability and the quality of contact he allows when he is in the zone. Hitters simply don’t square him up often because his fastball explodes at the top of the zone and his breaking ball has sharp downward action. His weaknesses are tied almost entirely to command. Walks have been the main obstacle keeping him from a big league debut. When he falls behind in counts he is forced to challenge hitters and loses some of the advantage his stuff normally gives him.
Baker essentially works with a two pitch foundation. His fastball is the headliner. It sits in the upper nineties and can reach triple digits. He uses it aggressively and it’s the pitch he throws most often. The breaking ball is his out pitch and he leans on it heavily when he needs a strikeout. The cutter is more of an occasional wrinkle and not yet a major part of his identity. The combination of a high octane fastball and a power breaking ball gives him a classic late inning reliever profile.
Injuries and Their Impact
The most significant injury of Baker’s life was the line drive to the head that caused him to lose hearing in his right ear and shaped his entire baseball journey. It pushed him away from pitching for years and forced him to rebuild his confidence on the mound as an adult. There are no outward signs that the injury affects his current performance, and he has said that he has been able to put that in the past even though the original psychological impact and the delay in development as a pitcher has been enormous. It delayed his pitching career and explains why he is still relatively raw despite having elite arm talent.
Overall Projection
Baker is the type of reliever who could move quickly once he finds consistent command. His stuff is already major league caliber and the Phillies have brought him to big league camp to expose him to veteran routines and expectations. The upside is a late inning bullpen weapon who can overpower hitters with two plus pitches. The risk is that his command never fully comes together. Either way, he is one of the more intriguing relief prospects in the Phillies system because few pitchers can match his combination of velocity and breaking ball quality.
Please scroll down to comment on this story or to give it a rating. We appreciate your feedback!
Disclaimer: Some of the products featured or linked on this website may generate income for Philly Baseball News through affiliate commissions, sponsorships, or direct sales. We only promote items we believe in, but please assume that PBN may earn a cut from qualifying purchases that you make using a link on this site.
© 2026 LV Sports Media. All rights reserved.
