Joshua Báez didn’t just have a debut for the ages on Saturday, he arguably had *the* best debut in baseball history. The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder went 3 for 4 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, blasting three home runs in his first three MLB at-bats. Yeah, you read that right. His first swing as a big leaguer? A monstrous 449-foot shot to center field. Absolutely wild.
A Debut That’ll Live in Lore
Think about that for a second. You step onto a big league diamond for the first time, probably a million nerves, and you crush the very first pitch you see out of the park. Then you do it again. And *again*. Báez put on a power display that nobody saw coming, completely owning the day as the Cardinals topped the Cubs. You only get one shot at a debut, and what he did is going to be talked about for a long, long time. It makes you wonder how a rookie can show up and just flat out dominate like that, hitting three dingers in his first three times up. Seriously, is this real life?
Where Does It Rank in the Pantheon of Firsts?
To truly appreciate Báez’s ridiculous performance, you gotta look at other historic debuts. We’ve seen some insane starts over the years, but three homers in three swings? That’s next level.
* Back in 1892, Reds pitcher **Bumpus Jones** threw a no-hitter in his MLB debut against the Pirates. No hits, even with a few walks and an unearned run, is still zero hits. That’s the only one of its kind.
* Then there’s **Willie McCovey** in 1959 for the Giants, who went 4 for 4 with two doubles and two triples. He was one of only four players to hit two triples in a debut, a stat actually rarer than hitting two home runs in your first game. He even went on to win Rookie of the Year that season!
* Kansas City Athletic **Bert Campaneris** in 1964 also lit it up, going 3 for 4 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Both his bombs came off future Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, too. Talk about making an entrance!
* And **J.R. Richard** for the Astros in 1971. The guy struck out 15 batters in his debut against the Giants, a record, and he impressively fanned Hall of Famer Willie Mays three times. Now that’s a statement!
Those are some all-time great performances, but Joshua Báez’s three-homer explosion right out of the gate is something different. It’s the kind of performance that puts a guy on the map immediately, making you absolutely excited to see what he does next. Will he keep up this insane power? Every single at-bat from now on is going to feel like must-watch TV. We’re all gonna be glued to our screens waiting to see how this story unfolds.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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