For Darren and Dusty Baker, a long-awaited debut day

Darren Baker didn’t need an alarm to wake himself up this morning. He didn’t need a GPS to find his way to Nationals Park. And when he entered the clubhouse, he didn’t need to introduce himself to many people.

If ever a rookie felt at home on his first day in the major leagues, this was it.

“I think it does feel comfortable, especially this one,” he said. “I knew how to get here. I didn’t have to put it into my phone or anything. So I felt comfortable just showing up.”

Baker, who along with reliever Zach Brzykcy was promoted from Triple-A Rochester this morning as the Nationals’ two allotted September call-ups with rosters expanding to 28, has been a familiar face around Nationals Park since 2016. And he’s been a familiar face around big league ballparks and clubhouse since 2002.

Such is life when you’re Dusty Baker’s son. With a famous father who spent most of the last two decades managing in San Francisco, Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington and Houston, Darren Baker has been immersed in the baseball world his whole life. Fans first knew about him in the 2002 World Series, when as a 3-year-old Giants batboy he memorably had to be scooped up J.T. Snow before getting run over on a play at the plate.

Baker, though, has spent the ensuing two decades establishing his own baseball identity. Though he was a regular presence at each of his father’s managerial stops, he began making a name for himself as an accomplished high school player, then in college at Cal-Berkeley. And when the Nats made him their 10th-round pick in 2021, he began his trek up through the minor leagues, playing the last four seasons in Fredericksburg, Wilmington, Harrisburg and eventually Rochester.

“It’s a little different. I think it kind of makes me unique,” the 25-year-old said of his life in baseball. “I’ve had a lot of different experiences and people I’ve crossed paths with to get to this point. And I’m still just getting started. We’ll see where it goes, but I’m grateful for everything.”

Baker’s stats this season (.285/.348/.340 slash line, 20 doubles, zero homers, 49 RBIs, 38 stolen bases) were good but not overwhelming. He doesn’t show up in top prospect rankings. But the left-handed-hitting second baseman and occasional outfielder has shown an ability to hit for average, to get on base and to have good instincts on the field.

“I see a guy that knows how to play,” Dusty Baker said. “I mean, he’s been around it since he was like this (holding his arm out at the height of a toddler). He doesn’t make many mistakes. When he was sitting on the bench with me, he’d see a bonehead play, look at me and say: ‘Dad, that wasn’t a good play.’ He was 10, 12 years old. And I’d say: ‘No, son, it wasn’t. I don’t want to see you make that play.’”

Dusty and Melissa Baker had been watching their son play in Scranton, Pa., a few days ago before flying home to California on Friday. Then Baker got a call from Mike Rizzo and assumed the longtime Nationals general manager was just calling to say hi. Rizzo, though, wanted to let him know first they were planning to call up his son so he could make plans to come to Washington. Dusty couldn’t let Darren know that he knew, so when Darren called him Saturday with the big news, Dusty “played it cool.”

“What I was thinking was: How many of these young men, or people in life, reach their lifetime goal at 25 years?” Dusty Baker said. “You’ve got to feel very fortunate, very thankful. And now you’ve got to set new goals.”

Darren Baker isn’t in today’s lineup, and playing time could be tough to come by, with Luis Garcia Jr. having established himself as the starting second baseman and three rookie outfielders (James Wood, Dylan Crews, Jacob Young) playing every day. But manager Davey Martinez said he’ll find ways to get Baker into games, and believes his versatility could ultimately be his path to staying up here.

“I told them the same thing in Rochester: I don’t care where I play. It really doesn’t matter to me,” Baker said. “It kind of changed every day for me down there every day, but I’m comfortable in that role. Whatever to helps us win.”

Dusty and Melissa Baker made it here for today’s game, but they’re heading back home afterward. Dad will pop in from time to time to watch his son play in person, and mom will watch every inning of every game on television.

Dusty Baker has always been his son’s biggest supporter. But he also knows the time has come for Darren Baker to be his own person.

“He’s the best, man,” Darren Baker said. “He never really forced me to play, or put pressure on me or was overbearing. I kind of just found the level of my game myself. I think it really helped me in the long run. Especially the long days on the buses at Triple-A or wherever. He’s the best, and kind of just let me be me.”