Joshua Baez, MiLB Player of the Day; Again, Again and Again

The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Joshua Báez Keeps Pushing the Issue in Memphis

Some players make noise with one big swing. Others make their case by showing up all over the box score.

On Sunday, Joshua Báez did the latter.

Báez is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Memphis’ 4-3 walk-off win over Louisville. In a game the Redbirds had to grind out into extra innings, Báez was one of the steady offensive engines that helped keep Memphis alive until the final push.

The 22-year-old outfielder has long been one of the more physically gifted players in the Cardinals’ system. At 6-foot-3 and around 220 pounds, Báez looks the part the moment he steps on the field. The raw tools have never been in question. The question has always been how consistently those tools would translate into production.

Sunday was a good example of what makes Báez interesting.

He did not need to leave the yard to make an impact. He collected three hits, added a double, scored a run, and gave Memphis traffic on the bases in a game where every baserunner mattered. That kind of performance is important for a player who has often been viewed through the lens of upside and projection.

The Cardinals signed Báez out of Massachusetts as a second-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, betting on his athleticism, power potential, arm strength, and overall ceiling. Since then, his development has had the usual bumps that come with a young power-hitting outfielder. There have been flashes of loud contact, impressive exit velocity, and game-changing ability. There have also been stretches where swing-and-miss and consistency have been part of the story.

That is the path for many young hitters with impact tools. Development is rarely a straight road. It is more like a gravel lane after a Southern Illinois rainstorm — passable, but you better keep both hands on the wheel.

What stood out Sunday was the quality of the contribution. Báez was not just present. He was involved. In a tight game against Louisville, he helped lengthen the Memphis lineup and gave the Redbirds another productive bat in a win that kept them right in the thick of the International League first-half race.

Memphis eventually won it in the 10th inning when Leonardo Bernal drew a bases-loaded walk, but wins like that are built over nine-plus innings. Báez helped build it.

For the Cardinals, that matters.

The big-league club is always looking for outfield depth, athleticism, and right-handed impact. Báez still has work to do, but performances like Sunday’s are reminders of why he remains worth tracking closely. When he controls the zone, uses the whole field, and lets his strength play naturally, there is real offensive upside in the profile.

He does not have to be perfect. He has to keep stacking better at-bats and turning tools into usable production.

Sunday was one of those days.

Three hits. A double. A run scored. A key role in a walk-off win.

That is more than enough to earn the spotlight.

Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day:
Joshua Báez, OF, Memphis Redbirds
Final Line: 3-for-5, 2B, R

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Joshua Baez, St. Louis Cardinals, |  Jim Rassol-Imagn Images |