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Stats

Joshua Báez strikes out three times at Triple-A

St. Louis Cardinals photo day

Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Player Stats

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Friday for Triple-A Memphis.

Báez possesses stratospheric raw power potential, and while he’s made some strides recently in the contact department, he’s still struck out nearly 27 percent of the time since the start of June. He’s launched 10 homers during that 20-game sample size, which matters exponentially more. However, the persistent strikeout issues are probably the biggest reason why the Cardinals are having him continue his development on the doorstep of the majors as opposed to bringing him up and exposing him to big-league arms. His time is coming later this summer, and he projects as an immediate power/speed combo source, which makes Báez a worthwhile stash candidate in all fantasy leagues.

- George Bissell

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Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

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Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

The 23-year-old now has 31 home runs and 77 RBI on the season. Yes, he’s hitting .244, and there is some swing-and-miss that will likely always be a part of his game, but he still has an .883 OPS on the year and has perhaps the best power/speed combination in the upper minors. It would make sense for the Cardinals to find a spot in the lineup for him, but it may not happen until after August 14, when they can retain his rookie eligibility for 2027.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez launched a 473-foot grand slam on Friday for Triple-A Memphis.

Báez went deep for the first time since a two-homer explosion back on July 2. It was his 29th round-tripper of the year. The 23-year-old’s off-the-charts power/speed combination gives him a chance to be the most impactful fantasy prospect to receive the call to the majors in the second half. There are some lingering swing-and-miss issues that are probably the biggest reason why he’s still in the minors. He should have an immediate impact once he is promoted, which makes Báez a worthwhile stash candidate in all fantasy leagues.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 0-for-5 for Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.

Báez had a tremendous month of June, but the last two weeks have been a struggle. In 11 games from June 25th on, Báez has gone 5-for-44 with two doubles and two home runs. Obviously, the hits aren’t falling, and his 13/3 K/BB ratio over those 11 games isn’t ideal, but it’s also not egregious and shows he’s not being overmatched. He will likely get hot again, but there remains no real spot for him in the Cardinals’ lineup, so he’s probably not as much of a priority stash as he was three weeks ago.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBI for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

Báez now has 25 home runs and 64 RBI in 67 games this year. In June, he’s hitting .348/.377/.826 with nine home runs and 25 RBI. Yes, he has a 19/3 K/BB ratio in that span, but strikeouts are always going to be a part of his game. At this point, we’re not entirely sure what St. Louis needs to see from him in order to give him a shot.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez launched his 24th home run of the season for Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

Báez, who put together an unreal four-homer performance earlier this week, is arguably the most intriguing power/speed combo fantasy prospect on the doorstep of the majors, which makes him worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats. The 22-year-old leads the entire International League with 24 round-trippers through 64 games. He’s also chipped in 12 stolen bases during that span. There are some lingering concerns in the contact department since he’s struck out nearly 31 percent of the time at the Triple-A level this season. Still, he offers enough fantasy-relevant skills that fantasy managers should be willing to overlook the contact issues. He figures to get his opportunity with the Cardinals at some point soon.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 4-for-5 with four homers and seven RBI on Tuesday for Triple-A Memphis.

Báez put together an unbelievable fireworks display on the doorstep of the majors and leads the entire International League with 23 round-trippers through 62 games. He’s also chipped in 12 stolen bases, just for good measure. The 22-year-old top prospect has some serious contact concerns that threaten to cap his realistic power ceiling once he reaches the highest level, but there’s no denying his potential as an impactful power/speed combo fantasy contributor right away. He’s at least worthy of a speculative roster spot in fantasy formats on the chance that the Cardinals give him an opportunity in the near future.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run on Tuesday for Triple-A Memphis.

The 22-year-old is now up to 18 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .937 OPS in 230 Triple-A at-bats this season. Lars Nootbaar’s return has clogged the Cardinals’ outfield a little, but Báez is certainly pushing for his opportunity.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI on Tuesday for Triple-A Memphis.

It was a bit of a slow start to the season for Báez, but the 22-year-old hit .274/.347/.632 in 106 at-bats in May with 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and a 34/9 K/BB ratio. He’s now continued that pace with a four-hit game to begin June. Obviously, the strikeouts are a bit of a concern and will continue to be at the MLB level as well, but he has elite power and has also stolen 11 bases already this year. Even with a low batting average, he has the raw tools to provide fantasy managers with a huge boost in the second half of the season.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 2-for-4 with his 16th home run of the season on Thursday for Triple-A Memphis.

Báez has been hotter than the surface of the sun, blasting five round-trippers over his last three games, including a pair of multi-homer performances. The 22-year-old top prospect has gone deep 10 times since the start of May and is hitting .293 (27-for-92) with just 29 strikeouts during that 22-game span. He’s going to strike out quite a bit while acclimating to everyday life in the majors, but his power/speed combination will make him an impactful fantasy contributor right away. It feels like only a matter of time before the Cardinals decide that he’s ready for his first opportunity in the majors, which makes Báez a viable stash in deeper mixed leagues.
Joshua Báez

STL Right Fielder #22

Cardinals OF prospect Joshua Báez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

Báez has homered in four of the last six games and is up to 11 on the season to go along with 27 RBI and seven steals. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he has a 34.5 percent strikeout rate on the season and has a 21/2 K/BB ratio in May. The power is tantalizing, and the speed is a nice boost, but will he make enough contact? For comparison’s sake, Báez has a nearly 65 percent contact rate, which is about five percent higher than Spencer Jones. Still, an 18.1 percent swinging strike rate is a bit concerning.

Rotoworld

Matt Waldron

SD Starting Pitcher #61
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Padres designated RHP Matt Waldron for assignment.

Waldron has posted a 7.16 ERA in 32 2/3 innings for the Padres this season. He’s unlikely to be claimed on waivers, so the team could re-sign him to a minor league deal and keep him as organizational depth.
- Eric Samulski

Transaction

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Jeremiah Estrada

SD Relief Pitcher #56
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Padres activated RHP Jeremiah Estrada (knee) from the 15-day injured list.

Estrada has been out since the beginning of June with right knee inflammation. The 27-year-old has a 3.48 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 23/10 K/BB in 20 2/3 innings for the Padres.
- Eric Samulski

Transaction

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Ryan Gusto

MIA Starting Pitcher #65
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Ryan Gusto received a no-decision in Wednesday’s matinee against the Phillies, allowing six earned runs on nine hits over five innings pitched.

Gusto struck out three and walked two, raising his ERA to 5.31. Down 6-0, Miami scored eight unanswered to sweep Philadelphia. He’s made 13 appearances (eight starts) on the year but remains off the fantasy radar. His next outing lines up against the Braves in Atlanta.

Recap

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Pete Fairbanks

MIA Relief Pitcher #29
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Pete Fairbanks earned his 15th save of 2026 on Wednesday against the Phillies, firing a scoreless ninth to preserve the 8-6 victory.

Fairbanks struck out one in the 13-pitch inning. His ERA sits at 6.75, but he’s remained Miami’s closer. He only has three saves this month, though that has a lot to do with the All-Star break and the club’s 12-game losing streak prior to sweeping Philadelphia. The trade deadline is about to shake up bullpens across the league, so it’ll be interesting to see if his situation changes over the next week.

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Jesús Luzardo

PHI Starting Pitcher #44
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Jesús Luzardo received a no-decision on Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing six runs on six hits over 6 1/3 frames.

Luzardo struck out five and walked three, raising his ERA to 3.57. The Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Marlins scored eight unanswered runs to secure the sweep. Philadelphia has now lost seven of eight, making Luzardo’s seventh-inning collapse ill-timed. He lines up to face the high-scoring Nationals at home next time out.

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Heriberto Hernández

MIA Left Fielder #13
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Heriberto Hernández popped his 16th home run this year as the Marlins defeated the Phillies 8-6 on Wednesday afternoon.

Hernández hit two homers in the Marlins’ three-game sweep of the Phillies, connecting for long balls off Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo. The hot-hitting outfielder is of the high-SLG, low-OBP variety. He’s made 17 straight starts for Miami. His 16 home runs this season lead the team. The Athletic reported Wednesday that the front office is willing to listen to offers for several hitters, including Hernández. He’s a name to watch ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

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Griffin Conine

MIA Right Fielder #18
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Griffin Conine came off the bench Wednesday to connect for a two-run, go-ahead homer in Miami’s 8-6 win over the Phillies.

The lefty-hitting outfielder was out of the lineup as Philadelphia started southpaw Jesús Luzardo. He still made his presence felt and now has a .563 slugging percentage in 127 plate appearances on the year. Conine has been starting against every right-hander the Marlins have faced recently. His Statcast metrics suggest a career-best season, though the sample remains small. He’s someone to keep an eye on in deeper leagues when the team has several righties on the schedule.

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Xavier Edwards

MIA 2nd Baseman #9
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Xavier Edwards went 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBI, and a stolen base as the Marlins defeated the Phillies 8-6 on Wednesday afternoon.

Edwards’ two RBI came on a game-tying single in the seventh. Miami was down 6-0 before scoring eight unanswered runs to sweep the Phillies. The comeback is even more notable considering they had lost 12 straight entering the series. Edwards hasn’t hit as well lately as he did earlier in the year, but a high batting average with speed and non-zero power has been a season-long win for fantasy managers, especially at a weak position. His underlying metrics suggest he’s taken a real step forward in 2026.

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Trea Turner

PHI Shortstop #7
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Trea Turner went 2-for-5 with a home run as the Phillies fell to the Marlins 8-6 on Wednesday.

Turner’s fifth-inning solo shot helped the Phillies jump out to a 6-0 lead. However, they allowed the Marlins to score eight unanswered runs, losing for the seventh time in eight games. Turner has had a letdown season to date, but his bat has come alive in the second half. He now has five homers since the All-Star break compared to 10 in the first half.

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Paul Sewald

AZ Relief Pitcher #38
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Paul Sewald is out of the closer’s role, “at least for now.”

Sewald will pitch in lower-leverage situations in the short-term while the Diamondbacks use a closer by committee. Brandyn Garcia got the save on Wednesday, but Lovullo also mentioned that it could be Juan Morillo, Jonathan Loaisiga, or Kevin Ginkel in future save opportunities. Our best guess would be some sort of committee with Garcia and Morillo at the heart of it. Of course, Justin Martinez could come back at some point in August and join the fold.
- Eric Samulski

Source: Jack Sommers
Brandyn Garcia

Juan Morillo

Jonathan Loáisiga
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