Joshua Báez rewrites baseball history in a timeless Cardinals/Cubs classic

The Cardinals just took down the Cubs in game two of their three-game set, by a score of 8-4. 

Michael McGreevy navigated six innings and surrendered only three runs, en route to a quality start. Alec Burleson and Blaze Jordan both launched home runs, and the bullpen did its job. However, it all pales in comparison to the extravagant introduction of the newest Cardinal slugger: Joshua Báez. 

Cardinals' Joshua Báez just did something that baseball has never seen before

First, it was “Joshua Báez is the first Cardinal to homer on his first career pitch since Adam Wainwright!” That was after the kid walloped a 449ft blast to dead center, prompting Cardinal announcer Stefan Caray to comment on how close it was to hitting his grandfather’s statue. 

That wasn’t enough, though. 

Then it was, “Now he’s the first player to homer in his first two at-bats since Keith McDonald!” After he turned and burned on a 3-2 changeup from Matthew Boyd for his second home run in as many tries. 

Báez didn’t like that either—enough with the comparisons; out with the old and in with the new. 

Now he stands alone. Báez is the first player in MLB history to homer three times in his debut, and it only took him three plate appearances. 

In his third trip to the plate, he stayed glued on a backdoor slider from Boyd, and punished it the other way. Conveniently, it landed in the lap of a Cardinal fan. 

The first swing was chill-inducing. 

If you were a Cubs fan, you felt a shiver down your spine and saw the foreshadowing of years of torment from the Cardinals slugger. If you were a Redbird fan, you got a glimpse at how sweet things can get and a chance to witness history. 

The second swing garnered double-takes. “What’s going on? Is this happening?” 

The third swing was euphoria. For a former alienated prospect who worked tirelessly to achieve his dream of being an MLB star, this is real life, and real life can be a dream. 

Báez likely had the greatest MLB debut in baseball history, and quite possibly the best single-game performance in Wrigley Field history. Kerry Wood of the Cubs once struck out 20 batters at the Friendly Confines, which is the only real contest. 

In the same stadium, in front of the same crowd, and with the “weeds on the wall,” Báez changed history and took baseball’s breath away. 

Ahead of his debut, there were concerns about contact rates, too many strikeouts, and whether he’d stay healthy. While those are valid concerns and remain so, the noise that’s still echoing from his three glorious clouts has drowned out all the pessimism. There’s a lot more positivity now; funny how that works. 

Báez never cared about the noise, even before he was creating it. He never questioned his own ability, and as manager Oliver Marmol put it, “There’s an edge to it. There’s a confidence to it, and he has a work ethic that’s fun to watch too. He knows how to get after it. He wants to win” (per Zach Sweet).

Báez plays the game for his late father. Before his passing, the Cardinals’ newest slugger promised his dad that he’d one day make the Major Leagues. That was his dad’s dream, and Báez was sure he’d live it for him. 

He isn’t just living it; he’s conquering it. He’s becoming the same history that most could only dream of, and he’s also doing it against the Cubs. 

The rookie once proclaimed that he “wanted to be better than Mike Trout.” While that’s a tall task to ask of oneself, he’s definitely on the right track. 

In a rebuilding season, supposedly in the midst of the mundane, the St. Louis Cardinals have delivered countless memorable moments. Performances that will remain glued to the forefront of your mind until the next World Series championship in The Lou becomes a reality. 

JJ Wetherholt’s debut bomb to straight-away center, an assortment of walk-offs, Dustin May’s one-hit shutout, Jordan Walker’s dramatic Home Run Derby victory, and now the greatest debut of all time from your very own Joshua Báez. 

Baseball has a funny way of keeping you around. Right when you think, “Oh, brother. Here we go again,” something you’ve never seen before reinvigorates your love of the game. 

Baseball heaven is in Iowa, but baseball history? That was in Chicago, on August 15, 2026. When Báez broke the Baby Bears. 

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