Joshua Báez, the St. Louis Cardinals rookie, absolutely lit up Wrigley Field on Saturday, becoming the first player in Major League history to smash three home runs in his first three plate appearances. Before August 15, 2026, most MLB fans probably hadn’t heard of the kid, but trust me, they know his name now.
From First Pitch to First Blast, No One Saw This Coming
The 23-year-old stepped up for his very first MLB at-bat against the Chicago Cubs, and what did he do? He crushed the very first pitch he saw. Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd tossed a 93.4 mph fastball, a pitch Báez sent 449 feet to dead center field for a two-run blast. Can you believe it? That’s the longest homer by any player in their first career plate appearance in the Statcast Era. Cardinals announcer Chip Caray was screaming, “Swing and high fly…BELTED! FIRST PITCH! IN THE SHOW! BAEZ HOMERS!” The Cardinal dugout absolutely went nuts, and honestly, who can blame them? St. Louis snagged a quick 3-0 lead. If that was all he did, it would’ve been a legendary debut, but oh no, Báez was just getting warmed up.
The Record Books Just Got a New Chapter
His second trip to the plate, Báez faced a full count and Boyd again, who threw a changeup low in the strike zone. Boom! Báez launched it 382 feet down the line for a solo shot, giving St. Louis a 4-3 lead. That makes him only the ninth player in MLB history, and the eighth in the Modern Era, to hit two homers in a regular-season debut. Even wilder? He’s just the third to do it in his first two at-bats. Caray was on fire again, yelling, “SWING AND A DRIVE DOWN THE LINE! DID HE DO IT AGAIN? THAT BALL IS… GONE! HE’S GOT TWO HOMERS!” The Cubs booth, Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Jim Deshaies, were in disbelief. But Báez wasn’t done. In the top of the sixth, on a 1-0 count, he tagged Boyd one more time, driving a pitch on the outside of the strike zone deep into right field for a two-run homer. That extended the lead to 6-3. Caray could barely contain himself, “SWING, DRIVE, WELL HIT, RIGHT. SUZUKI BACK. IT IS GONE! IT IS GONE! IT IS GONE! THREE HOMERS FOR BAEZ! MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY AT WRIGLEY FIELD!” Deshaies from the Cubs booth even joked, “just retire right now.” Sciambi added, “That is as incredible a welcome to the Major League moment as anyone could have,” and Deshaies capped it off with, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Báez lined out to left in his fourth at-bat, which, let’s be real, is probably the only time he touched a ball that didn’t leave the yard that night. The Cardinals went on to win the game 8-4, and you know who they have to thank. It’s a truly historic debut for Joshua Báez, and while every game won’t be like this, for one unbelievable night, he was the most impressive player in Major League Baseball. What a way to kick off a career, right? We can’t wait to see what this kid does next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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