Cardinals Rookie Just Did Something No MLB Player Has Ever Done
A First Day in the Majors That Quickly Turned Historic
I've always been a Cardinals fan and growing up you didn't like the other teams but you knew who your main rival was. I mean, every team has a rival and for St. Louis it just happened to be the Chicago Cubs. When I heard they were playing eachother in their upcoming series in Wrigley I wanted to make sure I tuned in and I am so happy I did because after that game there is now a name I will never forget, Joshua Báez.
Actually, after what he just did at Wrigley Field, remembering his name probably won't be a problem and I think all Cardinals fans can say that. Even if you are not a Cardinal fan you will probably say that.
The 23-year-old Cardinals prospect made his Major League debut Saturday against the Chicago Cubs and somehow managed to turn his first three trips to the plate into a piece of baseball history.
One Pitch Was All He Needed
Imagine waiting your entire life to make it to the Major Leagues, walking up to the plate for the first time at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, no less and then crushing the very first pitch you see.
That's exactly what Báez did.
No nerves, just seeing the ball and hitting it, and he didin't just hit, he crushed it.
His first Major League swing resulted in a massive 449-foot home run, giving him his first career hit, home run and RBIs all at once. According to MLB Statcast, the ball left his bat at 108.6 mph. (MLB.com)
That's already a pretty incredible MLB debut.
Báez was just getting started.
Then He Did It Again...and Again
When Báez came back to the plate in the fourth inning, he homered again.
Then came his third plate appearance in the sixth inning.
You can probably guess what happened.
Home Run NUMBER THREE!
With that swing, Báez became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run in each of his first three career plate appearances. He finished his debut 3-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs as St. Louis beat Chicago 8-4.
And of all the teams to do it against, Cardinals fans probably appreciate the fact that it happened against the Cubs at Wrigley Field just a little bit more.
So, Who Is Joshua Báez?
If you're wondering where this guy suddenly came from, Báez has actually been working his way through the Cardinals organization for several years.
St. Louis selected him in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft with the 54th overall pick. MLB currently ranks the outfielder as the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect and the No. 59 prospect in baseball.
His road to the majors wasn't exactly a straight line, either. Báez went through several years of adjustments and struggles in the minor leagues before putting together a huge 2026 season with Triple-A Memphis.
Before getting the call to St. Louis, he was hitting .256 with 34 home runs, 90 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 103 games for Memphis. Those 34 home runs led all of Triple-A at the time of his promotion.
So maybe the power shouldn't have been a complete surprise.
Three home runs in his first three MLB plate appearances?
Yeah, nobody saw that coming, that's the kind of thing they make sports movies about.
His Historic Debut Is Already Headed to Cooperstown
Here's one more cool part of this story: a piece of Báez's historic afternoon is already headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
MLB reports that the cleats Báez wore during his record-setting debut are being sent to Cooperstown, meaning his first day as a Major League player has already earned him a place in baseball history.
Not bad for your first day on the job.
Báez still has an entire Major League career ahead of him, and one incredible afternoon can't tell us what that career will ultimately look like.
But Cardinals fans can say they witnessed the beginning and Joshua Báez made sure his beginning was unlike any other in Major League Baseball history.
You can read more about Báez and watch highlights from his historic debut through [MLB's coverage of Joshua Báez]
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