2027 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 89: Dru Baker

Dru Baker remains far from becoming a factor in the South Side outfield. | (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) Dru BakerCenter Fielder5´10´´205 poundsAge 272026 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 532026 High Level Charlotte (AAA)Age relative to high level -0.1 yearsSSS rank among all center fielders in the system 8Overall 2025 stats 94 games ⚾️ 8 HR ⚾️ 44 RBI ⚾️ .266/.322/.504 ⚾️ 20 BB ⚾️ 88 K ⚾️ 19-of-23 (82.6%) SB ⚾️ .970 % FLD ⚾️ 0.9 WARDru Baker brings contact hitting and strong defense to a White Sox organization that could always use bench depth, especially in the outfield. Drafted in the fourth round in 2021 by the Rays, scouts clocked Baker as a utility player with fourth-outfielder upside, but his time to play that role never came in 2026. 2027 could be the year.Baker slowly progressed through Tampa Bay’s minor league system before arriving in Chicago in the Matt Thaiss exchange in May. Baker got out to a fast start in 2022, slashing .297/.399/.467 while driving in 32 runs and drawing 29 walks in 47 games, which were nearly evenly split between Low- and High-A. His shortcoming, however, was 48 strikeouts, and contact continues to be an ongoing concern.Baker’s productivity remained high in 2023 and 2024 in High- and Double-A, regressed slightly in 2025 while facing Triple-A pitchers, but bounced back in 2026. He’s a bit more patient at the plate, and he more than doubled his RBIs from 2025 while breaking the .700 OPS benchmark. Truist Field helps pad his stats, but Baker needs to sustain his power and keep his whiffs down if he’s going to break through the 40-man roster. One way Baker can shoehorn his way onto the squad is with his defensive versatility. Having played every outfield position while also getting a few reps in at DH and second base, Baker is a healthier version of Brooks Baldwin, with a slightly better arm. Baker’s speed gives him a slight edge, but he’s coming up on 27, and his age and major league inexperience will work against him in the Sox’s already young and defensive platoon outfield. A healthy and improved 2026 steers Baker on the right path to make his debut in 2027 when Chicago’s down an outfielder, but he needs to step it up if he wants to stand out among the several Charlotte prospects who have shown more big league potential.Full 2027 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox ProspectsStorystream