On November 4, 1985, at the age of sixteen, Baerga was signed by the San Diego Padres. As a 17-year-old he debuted for their Class A affiliate Charleston Rainbows. He played with the team for two seasons. On December 6, 1989, San Diego traded him to the Cleveland Indians along with Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Chris James in exchange for established power-hitter Joe Carter. Baerga debuted as a major league baseball player with the Indians, on April 14, 1990. That year, he played mostly as a third baseman and shortstop and would hit 17 doubles and seven home runs, while averaging .260 at the plate.\n', '

Over the next four years, his home run and batting averages numbers rose steadily, hitting 11 home runs, and batting for an average of .288 in 1991 while playing mostly as a third baseman and second baseman, getting 20 home runs and averaging .312 in 1992 while becoming a full-time second baseman, and with 21 home runs and an average of .321 in 1993. In 1992, he reached 200 hits in one season for the first time, getting 205 hits that year. In 1993, he duplicated the mark of 200 hits, with exactly 200.\n', '

Baerga became the first second baseman since Rogers Hornsby in 1922 to have back-to-back 200+ hit, 20+ home run, 100+ RBI, and .300+ average seasons when he accomplished the feat in 1992–93. He was a 3-time All Star in the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons.\n', '

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