Mitchell Baker is a towering (6’5”) two-footed Australian striker with Indonesian heritage, having an elite physical presence between his lengthy frame and broad shoulders that allows him to back down defenders with ease and draw plenty of attention on crosses and set pieces to create space for teammates. Only a 19-year-old rising junior, he has time to gain more physical strength and grow into his frame. Baker was a MAC Hermann Trophy Semi-finalist and the 10th overall pick of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids.

Despite his stature, Baker’s awareness is his strong trait, not his physicality. The Georgetown target man scored 14 goals in 21 starts, adding 3 assists. He put more than 50% of his shots on target, getting into excellent scoring positions but needing to improve in consistency, as his finishing needed a touch more composure and technique, shooting off balance at times. This refinement especially needs to come aerially with poor execution on headed and volleyed chances. Aerially, Baker is mostly dominant and quite competitive, especially receiving in direct buildup, using positioning advantages and timing to win duels, though his direction and placement of them are unreliable. His off-ball movement is where he really thrives, with a high volume of intelligent runs. Baker can exploit gaps in the defense to break in behind after stretching the middle channel or arrive at either post. He has strong instincts to maintain separation from the back line when trailing/delaying runs to arrive late to finish cutbacks. Baker shows further box instincts with his poaching tendencies by anticipating rebound opportunities and maintaining separation after his runs, too. He is a very strong hold-up and link-up forward, getting it into his chest or feet with tight control using his frame to shield and retain possession, laying off with clean one-touches or combination play and rapid releases after drawing in pressure. His acceleration and agility can limit him when changing direction on the dribble or trying to break in behind. His unselfishness, quick ball releases, and awareness help make up for this by allowing him to spread play wide or into the stride of trailing runs.

In the press, his long strides allow him to close space quickly and force clearances, particularly by the keeper, but he can still be a passive presser.

If he can sharpen his finishing and speed up his decision-making under pressure, he has the positional awareness and box instincts to be a star in the MLS. His fairly recent position change to striker and driven mindset only support the notion that he will fulfill that projection. Baker’s size and strong link-up play could take him to even further heights in Europe.