Cardinals' Joshua Báez Homers on First MLB Pitch Against Cubs

Joshua Báez, ranked as the St. Louis Cardinals' third-best prospect by MLB.com, made an impressive entrance into Major League Baseball on Saturday. Recently called up from Triple-A Memphis, Báez was inserted into the starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs by manager Oliver Marmol.

In his very first at-bat, Báez faced Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd and launched a two-run home run on the initial pitch he saw. The 93 mph fastball was left over the plate, allowing Báez to capitalize and hit it out of the park, giving the Cardinals an early 3-0 advantage.

Prior to Báez's homer, the Cardinals scored their first run following a leadoff walk by JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera being hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson contributed with a groundout that brought in one run before Báez's powerful hit added to the lead.

At just 23 years old, Báez was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft after a standout career at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Before his promotion, he had an impressive season with the Redbirds, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 90 runs with a .256/.328/.573 batting line.