Joshua Báez Makes Historic Major League Debut

Joshua Báez made a remarkable entrance into Major League Baseball by hitting a home run on the first pitch he faced. The ball traveled approximately 450 feet, and Báez flashed a grin toward the St. Louis dugout as he started his home run trot.

There was a calmness and a smile, like, ‘I’m here,’ Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol commented. 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.

Báez’s debut was one of a kind. He became the first player to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats in Major League Baseball. This historic performance led the Cardinals to an 8-4 win against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

Recently called up from Triple-A Memphis, Báez had 30 family members present at Wrigley Field. After the game, his family, including his mother, Yris, joined him on the field for photos despite the rain. It’s just unreal, the 23-year-old Báez said. To not only get a hit, but three home runs? It’s crazy.

Báez’s first home run came on a pitch from Matthew Boyd and landed 449 feet away in the left-center bleachers. His second at-bat resulted in a solo shot down the left-field line, and his third went the opposite way, giving him a total of five RBIs in the game.

Major League Baseball confirmed Báez as the first player in modern history to achieve three home runs in his debut. Records before 1901 lack game logs, making verification challenging.

He hit three different pitches for home runs. He had a great game. He beat us for sure, noted Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

In the minors, Báez demonstrated significant power this season, leading Triple-A hitters with 34 home runs, including four games with multiple home runs. He is the ninth player to debut for the Cardinals this season.

Báez also became the 11th St. Louis player to homer in his first career at-bat. The last player to achieve this was Lane Thomas in 2019. Additionally, he is the sixth in club history to homer on the first pitch, with former pitcher Adam Wainwright being the previous to do so in 2006.