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NEW YORK -- It would have been easy for Luken Baker to try and do too much at the plate this spring. The 29-year-old was trying to make an impression on a new organization after spending all but a few months of the last eight years in the Cardinals' farm system. Signed to a Minor League deal by the Diamondbacks this winter, Baker -- who had registered home-run totals of 33 (in 2023) and 32 (in '24) during his time in the Minors -- came into camp without a clear path to a roster spot, but with a desire to show well for his new team. So, what was it that most impressed Arizona manager Torey Lovullo this spring about Baker, who was called up Tuesday to replace injured first baseman Carlos Santana? "For me, it was the walks that he drew," Lovullo said. "Sounds crazy, right?" Well, it is a little bit crazy, given that Baker hit three homers in 33 spring at-bats, but for Lovullo the six walks the slugger drew as opposed to seven strikeouts told him a story. |
Despite an overwhelming desire to show what he could do when he made contact, Baker didn't force the action. He was willing to stay stubborn with his approach at the plate and take walks when they were given. It reminded Lovullo of a time during his Major League career when he played for the A's and then-general manager Sandy Alderson approached him after a game. "I remember Sandy Alderson told me one time after I walked a couple of times in a game, 'Hey, good walks, Torey,'" Lovullo said with a laugh. "And I was like, 'What? Where am I?' But that was Moneyball and they valued getting on base." Baker's approach of not trying to force things at the plate was forged in the crucible of the Minor Leagues. He's played a total of 680 games in the Minors since starring at Texas Christian University and 74 games in the big leagues. "In my time just being up and down, I've learned that staying within myself works a lot better than trying to do too much," Baker said. "So, my goal is to go up there, swing at good pitches, take bad pitches, and control what I can control. And that seems to work out better for me." |
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Santana and Pavin Smith were supposed to handle the first-base duties for the Diamondbacks. Now, Santana will be out for an extended period of time, and Lovullo said Tuesday that it looks like Smith will be out longer than they anticipated as his left elbow is still not asymptomatic. Baker will see some of the playing time against left-handed pitchers, while Ildamaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez will also get opportunities. Tim Tawa is a backup option there, but the team has him more focused on backing up in the outfield with Jordan Lawlar on the IL. Vargas, who came up with a big two-run triple to the opposite field in Arizona's 6-5 win over the Braves on Sunday, won the final spot on the bench coming out of Spring Training in large part because of the fact that he's a veteran who has been in the organization before and is someone they know they can trust. "Our familiarity with him, knowing what he's capable of doing, and then the maturity that he showed and the comments he's making and the questions that he's asking, told me that he was as ready as ever to be our backup utility type of player," Lovullo said. "But the at-bats [this year] have been really, really good. He had a really nice two-strike approach that resulted in a two-run triple the other day." |
Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll is one stolen base away from surpassing Paul Goldschmidt (124) for second on the team's all-time stolen-base list behind Tony Womack (182). Carroll is also one triple away from tying David Peralta (46) for second all-time in triples behind Stephen Drew (52). |
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