Joshua Báez Makes Historic MLB Debut with Three Home Runs

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August 16, 2026
Professional Sports Sports

In a debut that seemed like a scene from a film, St. Louis Cardinals rookie Joshua Báez made Major League Baseball history. In his first major league appearance against the Chicago Cubs, Báez hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats at Wrigley Field.

Báez, 23, announced his arrival with authority. His first at-bat saw him send a 450-foot two-run homer to dead center on the first pitch from Cubs’ starter Matt Boyd, putting the Cardinals ahead 3-0. The fastball that met Báez’s bat traveled at 93 mph, to the delight of the Cardinals’ dugout.

“Báez hit a home run during the first inning at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, 2026.”

The drama continued as Báez hit his second home run during the fourth inning, facing Boyd once again. This time, he drove a 78-mph changeup 382 feet into the left-field stands, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. In a display of remarkable power and precision, Báez’s third homer came from an outside slider, clocked at 83 mph, and sailed 368 feet into the right-field seats for a two-run shot, further extending the Cardinals’ lead to 6-3.

Báez demonstrated his ability to handle different pitches, homering to all three fields in his initial at-bats. While he showed his human side by lining out in his fourth at-bat, the Cardinals were still leading 8-4 in the ninth inning.

Before the call-up, Báez was making waves in Triple-A. The Boston native, utilizing his power, led in home runs and had stats of .256 average with 34 homers, 90 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases over 103 games. Drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft right out of high school, Báez joins a core group poised to shape the Cardinals’ future.

Despite low expectations for the season, the Cardinals have been competitive. Entering play at an even 61-61, they were within 3.5 games of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies for the final National League Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Cubs held the top Wild Card spot, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by three games in the NL Central race.