Bakker made his debut for the national team on 28 November 2009 at the 2009 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the national team in the men's tournament, winning a silver medal. He was the captain of the Dutch national team at the 2018 World Cup, where they won the silver medal. In 2017 and 2018, Bakker was nominated for the FIH Player of the Year Award. After the 2020 Summer Olympics he announced his retirement from the national team.