Luken Baker

BIOGRAPHY

Luken Baker was born March 10, 1997, in Spring, Texas. He is an infielder in the MLB.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Baker in the second round, with the 75th overall pick, in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft and signed with them for $800,000. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals, and, after batting .500 in eight games, and was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs. In 37 games for the Chiefs to finish the season, he hit .288 with three home runs and 15 RBIs.

Baker spent the 2019 season with the Palm Beach Cardinals. After hitting .346 with four home runs and a 1.067 OPS in the month of August, he earned Florida State League Player of the Month honors. He finished the year slashing .244/.327/.390 with ten home runs and 53 RBIs over 122 games. Baker was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals to begin the 2021 season. He missed nearly all of August and the beginning of September while on the injured list. Over 91 games for Springfield, Baker slashed .248/.322/.530 with 26 home runs and 68 RBIs. In mid-September, he was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple-A East with whom he appeared in two games to end the season.

Baker returned to Memphis to begin the 2022 season. In 124 contests, Baker slashed .228/.289/.394 with 21 home runs and 66 RBIs.

The Cardinals assigned Baker to Memphis to begin the 2023 season. In 54 games, he batted .313/.434/.641 with 18 home runs and 53 RBIs. On June 4, 2023, Baker was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He was slotted into the starting lineup as the designated hitter, batting seventh against the Pittsburgh Pirates.