Loved ones behind Baldwin, No. 23 prospect, in debut

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- Brooks Baldwin started at second base in his first four Major League games -- at the Royals this past weekend and again at the Rangers on Monday night.

Baldwin (the White Sox No. 23 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline), can play across the infield, across the outfield and could even manage a few pitches behind the plate.

“I haven’t done it in a while,” Baldwin told MLB.com during the series in Kansas City. “It would take some time to get back used to it, if need be.”

Baldwin not only was a part-time catcher at Whiteville High School in North Carolina, but he was basically put there so he could work with the mound dominance of MacKenzie Gore. That’s right, the same Gore who has a 4.20 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings over 20 starts for the Nationals this season.

Gore and Baldwin have remained friends, and Gore texted words of congratulations to his onetime teammate before Baldwin singled two pitches into his Major League debut on Friday.

“He was excited, and he gave me his best wishes,” said Baldwin of Gore. “He actually pitched [Saturday] night on his bobblehead day, so that was cool.

“It was actually fairly easy. He was a guy in high school who threw pretty hard but knew where it was going. It wasn’t a really big challenge. In Little League, middle school, all the way up through, I had to catch every now and then. I grew up playing all over the field and behind the plate as well.”

Gore played alongside Baldwin in high school, and Michael Picollo was Baldwin’s roommate and teammate for almost three years at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Picollo is one of the sons of Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who was gracious enough to give Baldwin’s family and friends a suite at Kauffman Stadium for their memorable weekend in Kansas City.

Michael was in attendance, as well. He made the journey from Arizona -- where he was shadowing the Royals' staff in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League -- with a little advanced notice from Baldwin.

“I was supposed to come back at the end of this week anyways,” the younger Picollo said. “But he texts me the other day and was like, ‘Hey, are you going to be in Kansas City this weekend?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, but I don’t know exactly when yet.’ I was trying to figure out a flight back.

“Then, I waited five minutes and asked, ‘Are you going to be in K.C. too?” Ended up moving up to Friday to try to get here. It’s pretty cool.”

Ten hitless at-bats with six strikeouts followed Baldwin’s opening 104.8 mph single to right field against Kansas City. But he drove in his first career run with a single in the fourth inning of Monday’s 4-3 loss to Texas. The 23-year-old rookie is too talented and has come so far so quickly to let a somewhat slow start knock him down.

As for that rookie part: Baldwin carries himself as a true professional. But he might be the youngest-looking Major League player in recent memory.

“Yeah, a lot of people ask me how old I am a lot,” Baldwin said. “When I tell them, they don’t really believe me.”

Baldwin also is quiet, according to Picollo, who said Baldwin’s college nickname was the "silent assassin."

“His game just speaks for itself. He’s extremely humble,” Picollo said. “Super nice, always a great teammate. And just kind of like one of those guys who led by example and did things the right way.

“He’s probably one of, if not the most, skilled players I’ve ever played with. Knew how to handle his business and always treated it like he was going to be here at some point in time.”