Revitalized Cardinals prospect amps up power surge in Springfield

What a difference a year makes. At the start of 2025, outfielder Joshua Baez was hanging on by a thread to several St. Louis Cardinals top propsects lists. MLB Pipeline ranked him 30th in its top 30 list, and he had fallen off of Baseball America's list entirely. Through July 30 of that season, he was hitting .225 with 97 strikeouts in 227 at-bats with the High-A Peoria Chiefs. The Cardinals sent him down to Low-A Palm Beach, and his baseball career appeared to be on its last legs.

But in 2025, Baez has transformed himself into a different player. He's cut his unacceptable strikeout rate of 42.7% to a much more manageable 24.8%; he's gotten on base more often, raising his OBP from .335 to .381; and he's hit for more power, elevating his slugging percentage from .408 to .493. Baez has sustained this improvement even after his promotion to Double-A Springfield, and he's ending Springfield's season on a tear.

Baez hit a home run in three consecutive games to cap off the Double-A season.

Baez terrorized the San Antonio Missions in Springfield's last three games against them, going 5-for-8 while plating six runs on his three big flies. He finished the 2025 season with a career-high 20 home runs across High-A and Double-A while hitting .287 with an .884 OPS, and he's drawn comparisons to former tooled-up Cardinals prospect Tyler O'Neill with his well-rounded game.

Springfield is headed to the Double-A playoffs, where they're set to face the Tulsa Drillers in the division series. Baez should provide ample thump in the middle of Springfield's lineup as they attempt to bring home a title, but fans of the major league team will be more interested in when Baez can help the reeling Cardinals in what could be a rough 2026.

The Cardinals will need to place Baez on the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he could fit seamlessly into their plans late in the season. Baez has mostly played in right field, and one of the Cardinals' most prominent trade chips has patrolled that position often this season. There have been plenty of whispers about the Cardinals potentailly moving on from Lars Nootbaar in 2026, and if Baez shows that he can handle Triple-A Memphis next season, the Cardinals might give the slugging outfielder a look when rosters expand in September.

Baez's power is legit, and his defense in the corner outfield should also help the Cardinals if they decide to trade Nootbaar or another outfielder. With this strong finish to his season in Springfield, expect Baez to have plenty of helium on prospect lists and in the eyes of the Cardinals as they look toward the future.