St. Louis Cardinals rookie Joshua Báez delivered an extraordinary performance in his Major League Baseball debut, etching his name into the record books. The young outfielder made history on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, hitting a home run in each of his first three career plate appearances against the Chicago Cubs.
A Day for the Record Books
The 23-year-old wasted no time making his presence felt. In his very first big-league at-bat, Báez launched the inaugural pitch he saw an impressive 450 feet to dead center field for a two-run homer, immediately giving the Cardinals a 3-0 advantage. He connected powerfully with Cubs starter Matt Boyd’s 93-mph fastball, sending the St. Louis dugout into a celebratory frenzy as he rounded the bases with a wide smile.
His second home run of the game came in the fourth inning, once again off Boyd. After working a full count, Báez drove Boyd's 78-mph changeup 382 feet into the left-field seats, putting the Cardinals ahead 4-3.
The historic third home run also originated from an encounter with Boyd. This time, Báez hammered an 83-mph slider on the outside of the plate, sending it 368 feet into the right-field stands for another two-run blast. This extended the Cardinals' lead to 6-3 and left the St. Louis dugout in disbelief, with numerous players visibly awestruck by Báez’s remarkable accomplishment.
Display of Power and Versatility
What made Báez's feat particularly impressive was his ability to hit home runs to all three fields on three different pitches in his initial trio of plate appearances. He homered off a fastball to center field in his first at-bat, followed by a changeup to left field in his second, and then a slider to right field in his third. This demonstrated a remarkable display of raw power and adaptability in his very first professional game.
In his fourth at-bat, Báez showed a glimpse of humanity, hitting a line out to Cubs left fielder Ian Happ. At the time of this report, the Cardinals held an 8-4 lead over the Cubs in the ninth inning.
Journey from Triple-A to the Big Leagues
Báez, who had been leading Triple-A in home runs prior to his call-up on Saturday, was batting fifth in the order and playing left field for the Cardinals. His performance in Triple-A had been exceptional, with the Boston native posting substantial numbers: a .256 batting average, 34 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases across 103 games.
The Cardinals selected Báez in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft directly out of high school. The organization harbors hopes that he will become a key component of a promising young core, alongside talents like JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson, around whom the team can build for sustained success.
Team Implications and Playoff Race
While the Cardinals were not widely predicted to contend for a playoff spot this season, they have defied expectations. Entering Saturday's game, the team stood at 61-61, placing them just 3½ games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies for the final National League wild-card position. The Chicago Cubs, their opponents, currently hold the top wild-card spot in the National League and were three games adrift of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings coming into Saturday.
