On-Deck: Joshua Baez

ON-DECK: OF JOSHUA BAEZ

The Texas League was put on notice in 2025.

Joshua Baez didn’t just have a good season — he forced the conversation. Named a Texas League Postseason All-Star, Baez delivered 20 home runs, 54 stolen bases, and a .287/.384/.500 slash line. That combination of power and speed doesn’t whisper potential. It announces it.

But this wasn’t simply a tools showcase. The underlying gains may matter even more.

Baez posted a 74 percent overall contact rate while maintaining strong plate discipline. For a player once labeled “too raw,” that number carries weight. Add a 90th percentile exit velocity north of 107 mph and a hard-hit rate approaching 50 percent, and the profile shifts from intriguing athlete to legitimate offensive weapon.

The raw power has always been there. In 2025, the hit tool began to catch up.

Blending near-elite speed with true plus power potential, Baez now fits the modern impact outfielder mold. He affects the game in multiple ways. He pressures pitchers. He pressures defenses. And he changes innings with one swing.

The 40-man roster spot matters here.

St. Louis has already signaled that Baez is part of the near-term equation. With the Cardinals seeking right-handed power depth and health questions lingering in the outfield as spring approaches, opportunity could surface quickly. Injuries and performance often create openings in March, and prepared players tend to find themselves in the right place at the right time.

Baez does not need to force his way onto the roster. He simply needs to continue what he started.

If he breaks camp with the big club, it will be because the development is real. If he opens in Memphis, it will be the final proving ground before sustained major league opportunity.

Either way, Joshua Baez is no longer just a prospect on a list.

He is on deck.

Photo Credit -  MLB Pipeline