Joshua Báez

Active

St. Louis Cardinals · Outfielder

Age 236' 3" · 220 lbsBats Right

#130 Dynasty

FBaseball Overview

At just 23 years old, this right fielder enters 2026 riding momentum from a 2025 Post-Season All-Star selection with Texas, signaling he has already proven capable of performing at the highest level. Báez profiles as a potential source of power and RBI production from the corner outfield spot, with the athleticism to contribute across multiple offensive categories including runs and stolen bases. The primary risk lies in whether he can maintain consistency and fully translate his prospect pedigree into sustained fantasy production at the major league level, though his youth and recent accolades suggest significant upside for managers willing to invest. Monitor his playing time and performance early in the season to gauge whether he's truly ready for a full-time role or if a platoon situation limits his ceiling in 2026.

News Updates

Joshua Báez Makes Historic MLB Debut with 3 HRs
St. Louis Cardinals rookie Joshua Báez became the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs in his debut game on Saturday against the Cubs. Báez's first blast traveled 449 feet on the first pitch he saw in the majors, and he went on to homer again in his second and third at-bats. This historic performance gives fantasy managers a potential sleeper prospect to monitor going forward.
Aug 16, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2026	St. Louis Cardinals	25	92	84	.238	7	16	16	2	30	.293	.548	.841
Career	Totals	25	92	84	.238	7	16	16	2	30	.293	.548	.841

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	FCL Cardinals	23	95	76	.158	2	8	18	5	28	.305	.303	.608
2022	2 teams▼	32	122	101	.267	4	21	15	10	44	.385	.485	.870
2023	Palm Beach Cardinals	91	358	298	.218	7	36	54	30	122	.341	.383	.724
2024	2 teams▼	86	321	277	.245	11	41	35	29	114	.335	.408	.743
2025	2 teams▼	117	499	418	.287	20	79	78	54	103	.384	.500	.884
2026	Memphis Redbirds	103	461	410	.256	34	90	79	21	136	.328	.573	.901
Career	Totals	452	1856	1580	.251	78	275	279	149	547	.349	.470	.819

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 MLB

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Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg92.6 mph

Max EV111.9 mph

Launch Angle21.2°

Barrel %12.7%

K %32.6%

Hard Hit %49.1%

Sprint Speed29.2 ft/s

Bat Speed77.6 mph

Whiff %36.4%

Chase %39.5%

xBA0.212

xSLG0.453

xwOBA0.309

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Articles featuring Joshua Báez

New Top 50 Prospects List
August 25, 2026
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Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2026

St. Louis Cardinals

.238

.293

.548

.841

Career

Totals

.238

.293

.548

.841

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

FCL Cardinals

.158

.305

.303

.608

2022

2 teams▼

122

101

.267

.385

.485

.870

2023

Palm Beach Cardinals

358

298

.218

122

.341

.383

.724

2024

2 teams▼

321

277

.245

114

.335

.408

.743

2025

2 teams▼

117

499

418

.287

103

.384

.500

.884

2026

Memphis Redbirds

103

461

410

.256

136

.328

.573

.901

Career

Totals

452

1856

1580

.251

275

279

149

547

.349

.470

.819