Joshua Báez became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit three home runs in his MLB debut, launching all three in his first three career at-bats as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-4 at Wrigley Field on August 15, 2026.
The 23-year-old Cardinals prospect could hardly have scripted a more spectacular introduction to the Major Leagues. Báez went 3-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs, providing the decisive offensive performance as St. Louis improved to 62-61 and remained in the National League postseason race.
More importantly, Báez accomplished something that no player had previously managed in MLB history: three home runs in a player's first Major League game.
Báez Homers on the First Pitch of His MLB Career
Báez did not need an adjustment period.
Batting against veteran Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd in the first inning, Báez attacked the first Major League pitch he ever saw, a 93.4 mph fastball, and drove it deep to center field.
The home run traveled a Statcast-projected 449 feet and left Báez's bat at 108.6 mph, extending the Cardinals' early advantage to 3-0.
The blast immediately put Báez into the record books. He became the 33rd player in MLB history to homer on the first pitch of his first career plate appearance and the 11th Cardinals player to homer in his first MLB at-bat.
Even by itself, that would have represented an extraordinary debut.
Báez was nowhere near finished.
Second Home Run Puts Cardinals Back in Front
Chicago erased St. Louis' early lead when Michael Conforto hit a three-run home run, but Báez responded during his next trip to the plate.
Facing Boyd again, the right-handed hitter worked the count full before driving a changeup 382 feet down the left-field line for a solo home run.
The blast restored the Cardinals' lead at 4-3 and made Báez only the ninth player in MLB history to hit multiple home runs in his first regular-season Major League game.
It also placed him in even rarer territory.
Báez became only the second player since 1900 to homer in each of his first two career at-bats in the same game, joining Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns in 1951.
Then came the swing that created an entirely new MLB record.
Third Home Run Makes MLB History
Báez faced Boyd for a third time in the sixth inning with Alec Burleson aboard.
This time, Báez showed that his power was not limited to the pull side.
He drove the ball the opposite way toward right field, producing a 368-foot two-run home run that gave St. Louis a 6-3 advantage. The ball came off his bat at 99.8 mph.
With that swing, Joshua Báez officially became the first player ever to hit three home runs in his MLB debut.
He also became the first Major Leaguer to homer in each of his first three career at-bats. Before Báez, the earliest three-homer game in a player's career had come in his 10th Major League game.
Báez received another opportunity in the eighth inning with a chance to hit an almost unimaginable fourth home run. Instead, he lined out to left field against Colin Rea, completing his debut at 3-for-4.
By then, however, the record had already been secured.
A Historic Performance Against All Parts of Wrigley Field
The nature of Báez's three home runs made the performance even more impressive.
His first went to center field, his second to left field and his third to right field. All three came against Boyd, an established Major League starter who entered the game with an 8-1 record before taking his second loss of the season.
Báez showed power against multiple pitch types and demonstrated the ability to drive the baseball to every part of Wrigley Field.
For a player whose raw power has long been considered his most dangerous offensive tool, his debut offered an immediate example of why the Cardinals had been so intrigued by his development.
Triple-A Power Translates Immediately to MLB
The three-homer game was extraordinary, but Báez's power surge did not appear from nowhere.
Before receiving his first Major League promotion, Báez had been one of the most productive power hitters in Minor League Baseball during the 2026 season.
In 103 games for Triple-A Memphis, he hit:
- .256 batting average
- 34 home runs
- 90 RBIs
- 21 stolen bases
- .901 OPS
His 34 home runs led all Triple-A hitters at the time of his promotion and were tied for second-most across the Minor Leagues.
Báez had already produced another remarkable power performance earlier in the season. On June 16, he hit four home runs in a single game for the Memphis Redbirds, becoming the first player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
Across Triple-A and the Majors, Báez now has 37 home runs in 2026 following his historic debut.
Who Is Joshua Báez?
Báez entered the Major Leagues as one of the most highly regarded young players in the Cardinals organization.
MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis farm system and No. 59 prospect in baseball at the time of his promotion.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound outfielder was selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft with the 54th overall pick out of Dexter Southfield in Massachusetts.
His prospect profile has consistently been built around above-average power. MLB Pipeline gives Báez a 60 power grade on the traditional 20-to-80 scouting scale, while his combination of arm strength and athleticism gives him the ability to play multiple outfield positions.
His development was not always straightforward. After early-career injuries and significant swing-and-miss concerns, Báez made major offensive progress in 2025, when he produced a .287/.384/.500 line with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases across 117 Minor League games.
The power reached another level in Triple-A this season.
His first Major League game suggested it might translate just fine.
Cardinals Get Immediate Impact During Playoff Chase
Báez's arrival also comes at an important stage of St. Louis' season.
The Cardinals finished Saturday at 62-61, sitting third in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.
St. Louis had been 61-61 before calling Báez up and was still attempting to remain within reach of an NL Wild Card position. The organization promoted him after an outstanding Triple-A season with the expectation that his power could provide another dimension to the Major League lineup.
It took exactly one pitch for that decision to produce results.
Three at-bats later, it had produced history.
Joshua Báez will inevitably face adjustments as Major League pitchers develop plans to attack him, and one game cannot determine the trajectory of a career. But no matter what happens from here, his first afternoon in a Cardinals uniform already has a permanent place in baseball history.
Three home runs. Five RBIs. One Major League game.
No player had ever debuted that way before Joshua Báez.
