Joshua Báez Hits Historic Three Home Runs in Major-League Debut

Matthew Boyd, a starter for the Chicago Cubs, faced a challenging debut by St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Joshua Báez at Wrigley Field. Báez made an impressive start, hitting a 449-foot, two-run home run to center field to give the Cardinals an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Boyd attempted another strategy in Báez’s next at-bat in the fourth inning, opting for a changeup with a full count. Báez responded by launching a 382-foot solo home run to left field.

The rookie continued to dominate in his third matchup against Boyd. A slider on the outer half of the zone didn’t deter Báez, who made history by hitting his third home run, a 368-foot, two-run shot to right field. He became the first player to hit three home runs in a major-league debut, leading the Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Cubs.

After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell recognized Báez’s exceptional performance. “He hit three different pitches for home runs,” Counsell noted. “He had a great game. He beat us for sure.”

Báez spoke to reporters about his achievement, stating, “For me to not only get a hit but hit three home runs is just crazy.”

Before this memorable debut, Báez had an established reputation. At age 23, he hit 34 home runs and drove in 90 runs in 103 games with the Triple-A Memphis team. Ranked as the 59th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, Báez was no surprise to Boyd or the Cubs.

The Cardinals rookie demonstrated his power from the start. Boyd initiated an encounter with a 93.4-mph fastball on the outer third of the plate, which Báez hit 108.6 mph, joining elite company as the 11th Cardinal to homer in his first career at-bat and the first since 2019.

Despite Báez’s early home run, the Cubs rallied when designated hitter Michael Conforto hit a three-run home run to tie the game in the second inning. However, Boyd strategically avoided fastballs in his next two at-bats against Báez. In the fourth inning, Báez worked his way to a full count, eventually hitting another home run off an offspeed pitch to regain the lead for the Cardinals at 4-3.

Boyd reflected on the game, saying, “He had that battle, and we were trying to attack him with some different pitches. Could’ve been better. Wasn’t bad, could have been better, though, and he created some damage from it.”

Báez’s third home run sealed his place in history. Facing a miss with a 72-mph curveball, Boyd attempted a back-door slider. Báez caught the pitch, hitting it 99.8 mph to right field, and ensured his name was remembered at the Friendly Confines.

Reflecting on the game, Boyd assessed the situation after Báez’s final home run, “Missed with the first heater, and he was ready for it. Had a changeup the second at-bat and probably could have been a little more away, and he put a good swing on it and then hit a backdoor slider on the last one.”

What frustrated Boyd most were the missed opportunities before the first and third home runs. JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals worked a nine-pitch walk at the start, and Boyd allowed another walk to Alec Burleson in the sixth. These walks added to Báez’s power, compounding the challenges for Boyd.

Cubs manager Counsell decided to keep Boyd in the game during the sixth inning, as the team only trailed by a run. Counsell explained, “It’s one of those games where you make some mistakes. The first home run I thought was maybe a mistake, the last two were fundamentally good pitches (Báez) just hit well.”

Andy Martinez, a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune, contributed to this report.