Joshua Báez Makes Historic Debut with Three Home Runs
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder recorded three home runs in his first three at-bats during a Saturday afternoon game at Wrigley Field.
As CBS Sports first reported, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Báez put together what the outlet describes as arguably the best debut in baseball history on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Báez finished the day 3 for 4 with five RBI, highlighted by three home runs in his first three at-bats.
Báez's performance began with a 449-foot blast to center field on the first pitch he saw as a major leaguer. According to CBS Sports, Báez is only the third player in MLB history to hit two home runs in his first two at-bats, a feat he then extended by hitting a third. Prior to his promotion to the big leagues, Báez led the minor leagues with 36 home runs.
While the debut stands as a historic outlier, CBS Sports notes other legendary debuts for context, including Bumpus Jones' 1892 no-hitter for the Reds and Danny Cox's 10 scoreless innings for the Cardinals in 1983. In the modern era, Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin of the Yankees made history on Aug. 13, 2016, as the first teammates to hit home runs in the same debut game, doing so back-to-back.