Joshua Báez made a memorable entry into Major League Baseball by sending the first pitch he faced about 450 feet into the stands. He glanced at the St. Louis dugout with a smile, signaling his arrival. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol remarked on his poise and the rare occasion for the team to savor the moment. ‘He didn’t give us an option but to appreciate what was happening,’ Marmol said.

Báez achieved a historic feat by hitting a home run in each of his first three MLB at-bats, leading the Cardinals to an 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Recently promoted from Triple-A Memphis, Báez played with family support; 30 relatives, including his mother Yris, celebrated with him on the field despite rain.

Báez expressed disbelief at his success, stating, ‘It’s just unreal. Three home runs in my debut—it’s crazy!’ He started by smashing the first pitch from Matthew Boyd 449 feet into the left-center bleachers. His second home run was a solo shot along the left-field line, followed by a third in the opposite direction, totaling five RBIs.

According to Major League Baseball, Báez is the first modern-era player to hit three home runs in his debut. Records before 1901 are incomplete, leaving uncertainty about earlier occurrences. ‘He hit three different pitches for home runs. He had a great game. He beat us for sure,’ said Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

Báez displayed significant power in the minors, leading Triple-A with 34 home runs and achieving four multihomer games before his MLB call-up. He became the ninth Cardinals rookie debuting this season and the 11th in team history to homer on his first at-bat. The last Cardinals player to achieve this was Lane Thomas in 2019. Former pitcher Adam Wainwright also homered on his first pitch in 2006.