The biggest name heading into Cincinnati this week isn’t a Reds player, and it isn’t hard to see why.
Joshua Báez, the St. Louis Cardinals rookie who turned his MLB debut into a three-homer explosion at Wrigley Field, is now set to roll into Great American Ball Park for a four-day, five-game series against the Reds starting Monday. After what happened Saturday, the spotlight is coming with him.
Báez, the Cardinals’ top prospect, made his first big-league appearance against the Cubs and immediately launched the first pitch he saw 439 feet to center field. He followed that with a homer to left in his second at-bat and then another to right, becoming the first player in major league history to homer three times in a debut.
Before that, the only player to go deep in each of his first two big-league at-bats was Withrow High product Bob Nieman, who did it for the St. Louis Browns in 1951.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson didn’t hide the hope that the hot streak cools off fast.
“Hopefully he got it out (of his system),” Stephenson said. “Hopefully he can cool off these next four days that we get him.”
Reds manager Terry Francona was just as direct in sizing up the debut.
“Pretty impressive,” Francona said.
Reds lefty Andrew Abbott called it a dream start to a career.
“That’s starting your career out with a bang,” Abbott said. “Literally.”
Reds starter Brady Singer had a simpler reaction.
“That’s crazy,” Singer said.
Báez arrives in Cincinnati with big-time numbers already attached to his name: 37 home runs in 104 games overall this year. That kind of power is heading into a ballpark built to reward it, and the Reds know they’re about to see plenty of attention centered on the 23-year-old.
“There’ll be some other people, too,” Francona said.
Still, nobody in this series is carrying the kind of buzz Báez brings after that debut. Reds closer Emilio Pagán acknowledged the obvious challenge, while also pointing out the natural reality that comes after such a start.
“The good thing for us is there’s not really many directions you can go after that except for down,” Pagán said. ”I hope the best for him and his career.
What an incredible way to start. Unbelievable.”
“Well, we hope so,” Pagán said.
Reds All-Star Chase Burns, who is slated to start the series finale, said he’ll handle Báez the same way he handles everybody else.
“like every other hitter. See what the game plan is and attack him from there.
“He’s human.”
Burns, who brings his own elite stuff to the mound, is in the middle of a Cy Young-caliber season with a 14-2 record and a 2.47 ERA.
Abbott kept it simple when asked about the task ahead.
“Just figure out a way to get him out. That’s the name of the game,” Abbott said.
And, Abbott added, “He’ll slow down eventually.”
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