The St. Louis Cardinals are calling up one of their top prospects, outfielder Joshua Baez, to bolster their lineup during the final stretch of the season as the team pursues a wild card berth.
Baez, the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect and No. 59 overall in MLB Pipeline, is set to make his Major League Baseball debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Manager Oliver Marmol confirmed that Baez will be in the starting lineup for the game.
"He’s on his way," Marmol said, according to MLB.com. "He’ll be in the lineup tomorrow."
In 103 games for Triple-A Memphis this season, the 23-year-old Baez posted a .256/.328/.573 slash line with 34 home runs and 90 RBIs. Since being drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Baez has shown flashes of power, particularly in his breakout seasons at High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in the past year.
Marmol highlighted Baez's competitive drive, stating, "There’s an edge to it. There’s a confidence to it, and he has a work ethic that’s fun to watch, too. He knows how to get after it. He wants to win, and it’s fun to inject that into this clubhouse because we have a lot of guys that are that way."
Despite his power potential, concerns have previously been raised about Baez's plate discipline, with over 100 strikeouts in four of his six minor league seasons. However, the Cardinals organization believes he is improving.
"There’s a hitter in there, too," said Cardinals assistant general manager of player development and performance Rob Cerfolio. "His goal the last couple months has been to hit .300 in the second half, and he doesn’t really need to swing for power. Power is just part of what he does."
The Cardinals are currently in a tight race for the final National League wild card spot, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by 3½ games. The NL Central division title appears out of reach, with the Milwaukee Brewers holding a 14-game lead.