Joshua Báez’s Major-League Debut Makes History at Wrigley Field

Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd faced a challenging game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, marked by rookie Joshua Báez’s impressive performance. In his major-league debut, Báez hit three home runs, leading the Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Cubs.

During Báez’s first at-bat in the first inning, he smashed a 449-foot, two-run homer off a fastball, giving the Cardinals an early 3-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Boyd hoped to best Báez with a changeup, but Báez responded with a 382-foot solo homer. In their third encounter, Boyd tried a slider, but Báez hit a 368-foot, two-run shot. This made him the first player to hit three homers in a major-league debut.

“I mean, he hit three different pitches for home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell commented. “He had a great game. He beat us for sure.”

For Báez, the achievement was thrilling. “It’s just unreal,” he said. His call-up from Triple-A Memphis, where he hit 34 homers in 103 games, was a key moment. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 59th-best prospect, Báez was not unfamiliar to Boyd.

Boyd’s initial pitch to Báez was a 93.4-mph fastball, which Báez hit at 108.6 mph, marking him as the first Cardinal since Adam Wainwright in 2006 to homer on his first pitch in a major-league at-bat. He is the 11th Cardinal overall to homer in his first at-bat, following Lane Thomas in 2019.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell reflected on the game’s turning points. Boyd’s struggles included preceding plate appearances with walks and hit batters, which set up Báez’s home runs. Boyd admitted, “You can watch film… So, we had a good idea, I didn’t execute, and hats off to him.”

Mistakes by Boyd were compounded by Cardinal base runners, amplifying the impact of Báez’s performance. Despite a three-run homer by Cubs’ Michael Conforto that tied the game in the second, they couldn’t maintain momentum.

The sixth inning highlighted Boyd’s challenge when Báez’s last home run followed a leadoff walk. Counsell left Boyd in, hoping for outs, but acknowledged Báez’s exceptional play. “It’s one of those games where you make some mistakes,” Counsell noted, recognizing Báez’s talent in capitalizing on opportunities.

Freelance reporter Andy Martinez contributed to this report for the Chicago Tribune.