2012 Indians 5th round pick: RHP Dylan Baker
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June 5, 2012
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With their 5th round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft the Cleveland Indians selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Baker out of Western Nevada Community College (NV).
Born: 4/6/1992 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
Ranks:
Jonathan Mayo: 77th
Perfect Game: 40th
Jon Sickels: 86th
Keith Law: 75th
Baseball America: 82nd
Tony's quick take: The Indians take another guy that could have gone a few rounds earlier as Baker really came on strong late this season and as you can see by the ranks above he was projected by many to be a first round supplemental to third round talent. He features a low-to-mid 90s fastball that has touched 97 MPH, and also throws a developing slurvy slider and changeup. There is a lot to work with here, and he could be a boom/bust kind of pick as there is still a lot of unknowns about him and whether his late surge was a fluke or if he is just beginning to tap into his potential.
Jeff Ellis: I called the Indians would go the Juco route here as they took a lot of guys from those ranks last year, though I would not have predicted Dylan Baker. He is only a sophomore and at one point was a possible first rounder and is on everyone's top 100 list for this draft. He was basically unknown coming out of Alaska, but this year exploded on the scene thanks to a fastball that has hit 100 MPH. His fastball and curveball both project as plus pitches. The question is can he develop a third pitch, and if he does then he is a very exciting starting prospect. If not then he has back of the pen upside. He showed some major fatigue down the stretch which hurt him, and his command also needs some improvement. He is only a Juco guy so he is a bit younger and should have time to develop. He is another very interesting player for the Tribe this late who has a bit of a wow factor in terms of his velocity. He is more than likely going to end up in the pen, but as the Indians learned this year you can never have enough exciting pen arms.
Press release: Hails from Juneau, Alaska…Sophomore at Western Nevada went 13-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 18 games/16 starts this spring (84.2IP, 46H, 18ER, 46BB, 126K)…Previously pitched at Tacoma CC as a freshman…Was named Scenic West Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and helped Western advance to the Junior College World Series.
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