Joshua Báez Earns Player of the Day Honors for Memphis

The Cardinal Chronicle
Joshua Báez Earns Player of the Day Honors for Memphis
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Joshua Báez gave Memphis the kind of night a club needs when the offense is trying to scratch its way back into a ballgame.

The Redbirds came up short Wednesday in a 3-2 walk-off loss to Iowa, but Báez did his part. The Memphis outfielder went 3-for-4 with a double, putting together the most complete offensive performance in the Cardinals’ farm system and earning The Cardinal Chronicle Hitter of the Day honors.

It was not a loud night for the Memphis lineup as a whole. The Redbirds were held scoreless through eight innings before rallying for two runs in the ninth. Nelson Velázquez brought home the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Bligh Madris followed with the game-tying single. For a moment, Memphis looked as if it might steal one late.

Iowa answered in the bottom of the ninth, but Báez’s work at the plate still stood out.

He was the steady bat in a game where Memphis needed every baserunner it could find. His three-hit night included a double, and he continued to show the offensive ability that has always made him one of the more intriguing names in the Cardinals’ system.

Báez has long had the tools. That has never been the question. He has the frame, the athleticism and the raw power that scouts notice quickly. The developmental challenge has always been turning those tools into consistent production. Nights like Wednesday are a reminder of why the Cardinals have remained patient.

There is still swing-and-miss in his game, and that is part of the evaluation. But when Báez is seeing the ball well, staying through the zone and using the field, he can impact a game in a hurry. Against Iowa, he did not need a home run to make his mark. He gave Memphis three quality at-bats that turned into hits and helped keep the Redbirds within reach.

That matters.

In Triple-A, the test is not just talent. It is adjustment. Pitchers have plans. Relievers have better secondary stuff. Mistakes are fewer. A young hitter has to prove he can produce even when the game is not handing him easy swings.

Báez did that Wednesday.

The Redbirds did not get the win, and that will always be the first line on the ledger. But player development is about more than the final score. Báez’s three-hit night was one of the bright spots on a difficult night across the system.

For Memphis, it was a missed opportunity. For Báez, it was another step in the right direction.

Old School Take

Joshua Báez does not need to be perfect to be interesting. He needs to keep stacking nights like this.

Three hits, a double and steady production in a tight game — that plays. The tools have always been there. The next step is consistency.

Wednesday night was a good one. Not flashy. Not overhyped. Just a strong Triple-A performance from a hitter trying to keep pushing his way forward.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports