You can’t have a better start to your career than Joshua Báez. Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the St. Louis Cardinals left fielder became the first player in major league history to hit three home runs in his MLB debut, and he did it in his first three at-bats. The first homer came on the very first pitch Báez saw in the show.

“It’s unreal. I really can’t put it into words,” Báez said during a postgame television interview. “Honestly, it’s just a dream come true.”  

Báez hit his first home run, a mammoth 449-foot blast, halfway up the bleachers in center. He hit his second home run to left field and his third to right field. That’s impressive all-fields power for any player, let alone a rookie making his MLB debut. Here are Báez’s three home runs from the Cardinals’ 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs:

All three home runs came off lefty Matthew Boyd and it was surprising that manager Craig Counsell let Boyd face Báez a third time. He’d already taken him deep twice, it was still a close game (4-3 Cardinals at the time), and Boyd was approaching 90 pitches. Boyd surrendered another home run to Blaze Alexander soon after Báez’s third shot. 

“Gosh, that was incredible to watch. And this kid really brings something really cool to this clubhouse,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “For him to come into his first game and show out the way that he did, that was fun. There was a lot of smiling and that was really, really cool to watch.”

Best MLB debuts of all-time: Where does Joshua Báez’s three-homer performance fit in baseball history?

Mike Axisa

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In the eighth inning, Báez had the chance for a fourth home run, but lined out to left field. He went 3 for 4 with the three homers and 5 RBI in the game.

Báez is the eighth player in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1900) to hit multiple home runs in his regular-season MLB debut, and the third this season. Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter did it on Opening Day, though he technically made his debut last postseason. Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jose Fernandez also hit two homers in his MLB debut on March 31.

Here are the eight players with at least two home runs in their MLB debuts:

Nieman and Keith McDonald are the only players other than Báez to hit home runs in their first two MLB at-bats. McDonald hit two homers in his first two at-bats with the Cardinals in 2000, but across two games. He hit a pinch-hit homer in his first at-bat on July 4, then went deep in his first at-bat two days later.

Báez is the second player to hit his first three MLB home runs in the same game. Catcher Seby Zavala, then with the Chicago White Sox, had a three-homer game against the Guardians on July 31, 2021. It was Zavala’s 18th career game.

Báez led minor leagues in homers before promotion

Prior to his MLB debut, Báez was leading the minors with 36 home runs, all at the Triple-A level. He hit .256/.328/.573 in 103 Triple-A games overall and even had a four-homer game back in June. The promotion was certainly deserved. Baseball America ranked Báez the 56th-best prospect in baseball in their August rankings. They call him one of the best power-hitting prospects in the minors, unsurprisingly.

“There’s an edge to it,” Marmol said about Báez on Friday (via MLB.com). “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.”

Saturday is an important day for MLB rookies. There are 44 days remaining in the season, meaning players called up Saturday (or later) will not accrue the 45 days of service time necessary to exhaust rookie status. That means Báez will remain eligible to win Rookie of the Year next season, which would net St. Louis a Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick.

Báez, 23, was a second-round pick (No. 54 overall) in the 2021 draft. He hit 22 home runs total from 2022-24, then broke out with 20 between High Class-A and Double-A in 2025 before exploding for those 36 home runs in Triple-A in 2026. Báez had a four-homer game in Triple-A on June 16.

Saturday’s win improved the Cardinals to 62-61 on the season. They’re three games behind the third wild card spot. The Cubs sit in the top wild card spot at 72-52.

Travis Kelce has arrived for the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams. The perennial Pro Bowler was among the Chiefs stars set to feature against Sean McVay’s team.

Kelce wore a black shirt, shorts and black shoes with a canned drink in his hand. NFL fans reacted on X.

A fan said, “No mirrors where he lives?”

Another added, “He is suddenly left handed just like his wife😂💍”

One wrote, “Ring makes him 99 overall not fine anymore! 🙄”

Some weren’t as dismissive.

One said, “Trav has arrived! 🏹🔥 Let’s go! 💪”

Another wrote, “Trav is in the building! 🏹🔥 The energy just went up another level. 😮‍💨”

One chipped in, writing, “Always bringing energy.”

Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker III, Chris Jones, Mansoor Delane, L’Jarius Sneed, Justin Fields and more have arrived at Arrowhead Stadium. They’re looking to bounce back from a forgettable 2025 campaign.

According to USA Today, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach went all-in after the team missed out on the playoffs in the previous season. Statement additions include reigning Super Bowl MVP Walker and rookie defensive back Mansoor Delane.

Travis Kelce set for Year 14

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Travis Kelce in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. The Cincinnati Bengals product has become one of the game’s finest offensive players.

Kelce has earned 11 Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections, three second-team All-Pro nods and amassed numerous franchise and league records. He’s gearing up for his 14th season in the big leagues.

It’s been an eventful offseason for Kelce as he’s tied the knot with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Their wedding took place on July 3 and was attended by the cream of the crop in sports, music and television.

Travis Kelce and Co. start their preseason with a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. They’ll then wrap up their regular-season preparations with games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.