It can take years for players to firmly establish themselves in St. Louis Cardinals lore, given their 145-year history. Joshua Báez did so in one game. By hitting three home runs in his first three major league at-bats, Báez, 21, provided an unprecedented and unforgettable debut. Though fervent Cardinals fans and prospect hounds certainly anticipated Báez's arrival from Class AAA Memphis, he nonetheless was the club's No. 3 prospect and ranked a consensus top 50 prospect in all the game. Just where did Báez come from and how did he announce his arrival so definitively? Let's explore: Who is Joshua Báez? Wrigley Field was filled with a significant Báez cheering section - an international cadre of supporters - for his Saturday, Aug. 16 debut. Báez was born in Boston, yet his family moved to the Dominican Republic when he was just months old. They eventually returned to the Boston area. Báez eventually filled out his frame - he's listed at a linebacker-esque 6-3, 220 pounds - and put his raw power and overall athleticism on display as an amateur. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts, the No. 2 outfielder in the USA and No. 7 overall in 2021 He was also a two-way star, topping out at 96 mph on the mound. But it was clear hitting was his future, and he secured a college commitment to Vanderbilt.
How did the Cardinals acquire Josh Báez? But Báez never made it to Nashville. The Cardinals chose him with the 54th overall pick in the draft, right behind Cincinnati Reds All-Star pitcher Andrew Abbott and eight picks before the San Diego Padres chose eventual two-time All-Star slugger James Wood. He was signed to a $2.25 million bonus, more than sufficient to buy him out of his Vanderbilt commitment. Joshua Báez minor league statistics His first full pro season in 2022 was limited to 32 games, though Báez, then 19, managed to hit four homers and post an .870 OPS in that small sample. He repeated low A in 2023 and finally graduated to high Class A Peoria (Ill.) in 2024, but struck out 114 times in 86 games across the two levels. Then came the breakout. Báez needed just 38 games to leave A ball behind in 2025, earning a promotion to Class AA for the final 79 games of the year. And he made the leap deftly, posting his first 20-homer season with a combined .884 OPS. That earned him a ticket to Class AAA to begin his season - and Báez's story picked up steam. Joshua Báez's tribute to his father If Báez was surely on the scouting community's radar by now - he was ranked 54th overall by Baseball America, 87th by MLB Pipeline entering this season - his narrative became far widely known thanks to one night in June. Báez's father, passed away on June 16, 2023. Two months ago, on the third anniversary of his father's death, Báez showed his flair for the dramatic: He hit a career-best four home runs for Class AAA Memphis, a night that brought his mother to tears. "Today was just really emotional," Báez said, per MILB.com. "I was just trying to push through, and it's just insane I was able to hit four home runs in one night."
What's Joshua Báez's future with Cardinals? Báez's splash debut couldn't have been better synced to the Cardinals' re-tooling program - and their surprise run into contention that's come with it. While the Cardinals have faded from serious wild-card contention, they remain geared toward near-term contention. Their trade deadline deal sending Lars Nootbaar to Arizona opened up at-bats in the outfield, and now left field should belong to Báez. With Jordan Walker's breakout season finally arriving, the Cardinals potentially have a daunting look in the corner outfield spots in coming years. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves. Báez will eventually swing and miss at a pitch. His OPS won't be 3.500 forever. Yet the baseball world surely knows his name now. And all signs point to him staying very front of mind in coming years. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Joshua Báez? Cardinals rookie's three-homer debut years in making