Cardinals officially promote Joshua Báez for debut

Báez, hitting fifth in his major league debut, took the first pitch he saw deep to center field for a solo homer off Matthew Boyd. Leading off the top of the fourth, he terrorized Boyd once again with a homer to left field. Things got ridiculous in the sixth, as he sent one over the right-field wall for his third home run of the game, making him the first player to ever homer three times in their debut. Already three home runs in, he recorded his first career out in the eighth. With big-time power and speed potential, Báez has wasted no time in proving why he can be a significant difference-maker in fantasy the rest of the way.

The 23-year-old slugger has put on an epic power display at the Triple-A level this season, slashing .256/.328/.573 with 34 homers, 90 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 461 plate appearances. He has also whiffed 136 times, which fantasy managers would gladly accept with that type of power and speed production. He should get an everyday role in the Cardinals’ outfield for the rest of the season which instantly makes him an intriguing mixed league addition. He’ll be in the starting lineup to make his MLB debut against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

It seems inconceivable that Báez will spend the remainder of the season on the doorstep of the big leagues. The power-hitting 23-year-old has some work left to be done from a swing decision and approach standpoint to scale back on the strikeouts. However, it’s undeniable that his immense raw power would be useful for the Cardinals down the home stretch. They’re currently rolling with unheralded Bryan Torres, who holds a pedestrian .692 OPS, as their primary left fielder after moving Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline earlier this week. The Cardinals would be able to promote Báez towards the end of next week and still retaining his rookie eligibility for next season. He’s the type of streaky slugger that could hit the ground running and make an immediate impact for fantasy managers, which makes him worthy of a speculative roster spot in all formats.

With Lars Nootbaar being traded to the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals will call up
Prieto, who is hitting .307/.373/.517 in 71 games at Triple-A with 12 home runs and six steals. Bryan Torres will likely play a lot of left field until August 14th, when the team can call up Joshua Baez without exhausting his rookie eligibility.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.