Joshua Báez Makes Historic MLB Debut for Cardinals

CHICAGO (AP) — In a stunning debut, Joshua Báez hit an impressive 450-foot home run with the first pitch he faced in the majors. After this remarkable feat, he beamed at the St. Louis dugout as he trotted around the bases.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol remarked on Báez’s calm and joyful demeanor, saying, “It’s rare for me to pick my head up to enjoy parts of it. He didn’t exactly give us an option but to actually take a step back and enjoy the heck out of what was going on there.”

No player had ever debuted quite like this.

Báez made history by becoming the first player to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats in the majors. His performance led the Cardinals to an 8-4 win against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Called up from Triple-A Memphis, Báez had 30 family members at Wrigley Field to witness his achievement. Despite the rain, his family, including his mother Yris, celebrated on the field with photos.

“It’s just unreal,” said the 23-year-old Báez. “To not only get a hit, but three home runs? It’s crazy.”

His performance was noteworthy not just for the homers, but the manner in which they were hit. The first home run came off the initial pitch from Matthew Boyd, landing 449 feet away in left-center bleachers. The second, a solo shot, went down the left-field line, while the third, in his next at-bat, went the opposite way, tallying five RBIs.

Major League Baseball confirmed Báez as the first player in modern history to hit three home runs in his debut. However, records before 1901 are unclear due to missing game logs. Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged Báez’s skill, saying, “He hit three different pitches for home runs. He had a great game. He beat us for sure.”

Báez displayed significant power with 34 home runs in Triple-A before his call-up, including four multihomer games. His debut marks him as the ninth player to do so for the Cardinals this season.

Báez also joined the list of St. Louis players to homer in their first career at-bat, the 11th to do so, with the last being Lane Thomas in 2019. He became the sixth in Cardinals history to homer on the first pitch, an accomplishment last seen by former pitcher Adam Wainwright in 2006.