MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez

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

Joshua Báez Powers Memphis Comeback With Two-Homer Night

Joshua Báez gave Memphis exactly what it needed Thursday night.

Power. Production. Pressure. And one of the loudest offensive lines in the Cardinals’ minor league system this season.

Báez went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base as the Memphis Redbirds rallied to beat the Charlotte Knights 8-6 at AutoZone Park.

That is not just a good night.

That is a full-service offensive performance.

Memphis trailed by three runs multiple times, falling behind 4-1 and later 6-3, but the Redbirds kept chipping away. Báez was at the center of it, giving Memphis the kind of impact bat that can change the shape of a game in a hurry.

His two home runs gave him 28 on the season, keeping him among the most dangerous power bats in the International League. He also added a double, reached base four times and even stole a base, showing that this was not simply a one-dimensional night built around the long ball.

Báez did a little bit of everything.

For a Memphis club sitting atop the International League West, games like this matter. The Redbirds had been shut out the night before, wasting six scoreless innings from Bruce Zimmermann in a frustrating 2-0 loss. A good team answers that kind of night quickly.

Báez helped make sure they did.

The Redbirds scored two runs in the sixth, two more in the seventh and three in the eighth to complete the comeback. Ramon Mendoza tied the game with an RBI double, and Noah Mendlinger came off the bench to deliver the go-ahead triple. But Báez gave Memphis the offensive backbone that kept the comeback alive.

That is what middle-of-the-order bats are supposed to do.

Báez has been one of the most productive sluggers in the Cardinals’ system this season, and Thursday night was another reminder of the damage he can do when he is locked in. The power is obvious, but the full line is what stands out: three hits, four times on base, three runs scored and a stolen base.

That is a player impacting the game from start to finish.

On a night when the Cardinals’ full-season affiliates swept the board, there were plenty of candidates across the system. Springfield had a seven-run inning. Palm Beach swept a doubleheader. Peoria snapped its skid.

But Báez’s performance rose above the rest.

Two home runs. A double. Three RBIs. Three runs. A walk. A stolen base. A comeback win.

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

Old School Take: When a hitter gives you two home runs, reaches base four times, scores three runs and steals a bag, you do not need a committee meeting. Joshua Báez carried a big stick Thursday night, and Memphis rode it to a comeback win.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB