Joshua Báez of the Cardinals hits 3 homers in his first 3 at-bats in a historic major league debut

Joshua Báez, a player for the St. Louis Cardinals, made his major league debut on Saturday with a historic performance. Báez, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis, became the first player in modern baseball history to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats. The young player, aged 23, was greeted by 30 members of his family at Wrigley Field, who gathered for photos after the game despite the rain.

Báez's first home run was particularly impressive, as he hit the first pitch he saw from Matthew Boyd, landing it an estimated 449 feet away in left-center field. The Cardinals went on to defeat the Chicago Cubs with an 8-4 score, with Báez contributing five RBIs in the game. Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised Báez's performance, stating that he hit three different pitches for home runs.

Báez's season in the minors was marked by his power hitting, as he led all Triple-A hitters with 34 home runs, including four multihomer games. This was the ninth time a player made their major league debut for the Cardinals this season, and the eleventh time a St. Louis player hit a home run in their first career at-bat. The last player to accomplish this feat was Lane Thomas in 2019. Former Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright also achieved this feat in 2006.