MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez

The Cardinal Chronicle
Minor League Player of the Day: Joshua Báez
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

There are Player of the Day decisions.

Then there are nights like this.

Joshua Báez is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day after one of the most historic offensive performances in Memphis Redbirds history.

Báez hit four home runs and drove in seven runs Tuesday night, leading Memphis to a 12-5 win over the Nashville Sounds at AutoZone Park. The win moved the Redbirds into first place alone in the International League race, and Báez moved himself to the top of the Triple-A home run leaderboard.

Four swings.

Four home runs.

Seven RBIs.

First place.

That is not a hot streak. That is a headline.

Báez opened his night in the first inning with a three-run home run, giving Memphis the early lead and immediately setting the tone. In the third, he added a two-run shot to push the Redbirds back in front by three. In the fifth, he went deep again, this time going back-to-back with César Prieto.

Three home runs would have been enough to own the night.

Báez was not finished.

In the eighth inning, he launched his fourth home run of the game, a solo shot over the left-field wall, becoming the first player in Memphis Redbirds history to hit four home runs in a single game.

That is rare air.

The four-homer game was just the 16th in Minor League Baseball since at least 2005. Báez also joined Chandler Redmond and Tyrone Horne as the only Cardinals minor leaguers to accomplish the feat in the last 30 years.

When a player puts himself in that kind of company, the daily honor is not a debate.

It is automatic.

Báez finished the night 4-for-5 with four home runs and seven RBIs. He drove in runs in the first, third, fifth and eighth innings, giving Memphis production from beginning to end. This was not one big swing in a lopsided game. This was a full-game takeover.

The timing also mattered.

Memphis entered the night needing to take care of business in its final first-half homestand. The Redbirds are chasing a first-half title, and every game against Nashville carries weight. Báez did not just pad a stat line. He helped put Memphis in first place alone in the International League race, with the Redbirds’ magic number down to five.

That is what separates a big night from a meaningful one.

Báez has been building toward this kind of attention all season. The tools have always been there. The power has always been part of the profile. But in 2026, the production has become too loud to ignore, even for those who prefer to wait and see.

He is not just hitting home runs.

He is stacking them.

He is driving in runs.

He is changing games.

He is helping a first-place team win.

By the end of Tuesday night, Báez stood among the league leaders in home runs, extra-base hits, total bases, RBIs, slugging percentage, OPS and hits. That is not one category carrying the profile. That is impact across the board.

Palm Beach had several strong offensive performances in its 14-1 win over Jupiter. Ryan Weingartner homered and drove in runs. Brayden Smith added a two-run homer. Ryan Campos homered for Springfield, and Jalin Flores went deep again for Peoria.

But this was Joshua Báez’s night.

Four home runs will do that.

Old School Take

Some nights, there is no need to overthink it.

Joshua Báez hit four home runs.

He drove in seven.

He became the first Memphis Redbird to ever homer four times in one game.

He helped move Memphis into first place alone.

That is history, production and winning all rolled into one night.

There are good games.

There are great games.

And then there are nights people remember.

Tuesday was one of those nights for Joshua Báez.

That is why Joshua Báez is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day.

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

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Photo Credit: Joshua Baez, Memphis Redbirds | MLB