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CHICAGO - At long last, the St. Louis Cardinals are promoting Joshua Baez, minor league baseball's home run leader this season, for his major league debut.
Baez will be added to the Cardinals' big-league roster Saturday and is expected to slot into the starting lineup, according to manager Oli Marmol.
Baez has enjoyed a prolific 2026 season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, hitting .256 with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, 21 stolen bases and an elite .901 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
Baez has made a name for himself this year thanks to his raw power, highlighted by a rare 4-home run game in June.
Baez, a 23-year-old and 2021 second-round draft pick, is currently ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 59th best baseball prospect and third-best in the Cardinals’ farm system.
While the Cardinals certainly could have certainly promoted Baez earlier this year, there are two factors that make his call-up more practical right now. First, the team has cleared a path for him to earn regular at-bats to close the 2026 season with the Cardinals recently parting ways with Lars Nootbaar and Nelson Velazquez.
Secondly, with three-quarters of the season complete, the Cardinals can retain an extra year of control on Baez's contract obligations and keep him eligible for NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2027, as long as he doesn't take more than 130 at-bats.
Baez told FOX 2 during spring training this year: "Expectations are high. My goal is to be a big-league 30-30 [HR-SB] guy." His favorite things about baseball, he added, "the competition and grind."
The Cardinals sit at 61-61 and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with two more games remaining agains the Chicago Cubs this weekend.
Though the Cardinals' 2026 season has largely presented itself as one for building toward the long-term future, Baez should see some meaningful at-bats down the stretch, and his highly-anticipated presence could help the Cardinals stick around as surprise playoff contenders deep into September.
NOTE: Attached above is Joshua Báez’s one-on-one interview with FOX 2 in March 2026 during spring training.
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