The Cardinals may be about to add another jolt of upside to a season that has already featured plenty of it. St.
Louis has spent most of the year hanging around the Wild Card race before slipping to the outside looking in, but for a club that entered the season expecting a rebuild, the bigger picture has still gone well. Breakouts from several young players have helped drive that.
Now there’s another name to watch. According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Cardinals are reportedly planning to promote outfield prospect Joshua Baez to the majors.
"According to my sources, Dominican outfielder Joshua Baez has been called up to the Major Leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals," Rodriguez reports.
It’s not official yet, but the report points to a major opportunity for the 23-year-old, who has been one of the organization’s most talked-about prospects. Raniel Rodriguez, Liam Doyle, and Alexander Frias are all considered strong talents as well, though they remain further away than Baez, who appears to be on the verge of his shot.
Baez has earned the buzz with a big season at Triple-A. In 103 games and 410 at-bats, the right-handed hitter has posted a .256 average and a .901 OPS.
He’s piled up 105 hits, scored 79 runs, and added 22 doubles, three triples, and 34 home runs. He’s driven in 90 runs and drawn 37 walks, though he has also struck out 136 times.
The power is the headline, and it’s a loud one. Baez’s 34 homers make him one of the most intriguing bats in the system, but he’s not just a one-dimensional slugger. He’s also swiped 21 bases this season, after stealing 54 last year, 29 in 2023, and 30 in 2022.
If and when Baez gets the call, he’ll join a Cardinals mix that already includes Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt, along with Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera. That group would give St. Louis a lineup with plenty of young talent and plenty of punch.
For now, the promotion remains unconfirmed. But all signs point to Baez getting his first crack at the big leagues soon, and Cardinals fans have every reason to be intrigued.
In Other News...
Cardinals Are About To Get A Real Answer On Joshua Bez
Joshua Bez is getting the call the Cardinals have been circling for a while, and the timing makes the promotion feel meaningful. St. Louis has long been intrigued by his blend of power and speed in the minors, the sort of tools that can change the shape of an outfield if they translate quickly enough against big-league pitching.
The real test, of course, is whether those traits show up when the margin for error shrinks, because the strikeouts have remained part of the conversation. For now, the Cardinals are looking at ways to get him in the lineup without overwhelming him, and the first look will help clarify whether he fits better in center field, at designated hitter, or in some kind of shared role that keeps Nathan Church involved too. [Read more 🡒]
Leo Bernal Is Forcing A Cardinals Catching Decision Soon
Leo Bernals rise in Memphis has become one of the more interesting development stories in the Cardinals system, and it is arriving at a position where the organization can use as much clarity as it can get. The Triple-A catcher has paired a .282 batting average with 14 home runs, and the appeal goes beyond the bat. His defensive work has held up well enough to make the overall profile look less like a hot streak and more like a player who is steadily closing the gap to St. Louis.
For the Cardinals, that matters because catching depth is never a luxury, and Bernals game is starting to look the part of someone who could help sooner rather than later. Compared with teammate Joshua Baez, Bernals production feels more stable and easier to project, which is why this is becoming a question the front office may need to answer in the near future. The only real suspense now is how long the Cardinals keep him in Memphis before deciding the bigger opportunity is already waiting. [Read more 🡒]
One Of The Cardinals Most Unforgettable Debuts Still Hits Home
Mitch Harris debut with the Cardinals still carries the kind of feel-good weight that sticks with a fan base. After serving five years in the United States Navy, he reached the majors in St. Louis and struck out the first batter he faced, a moment that instantly made his arrival hard to forget. He went on to pitch 27 innings with a 3.67 ERA and picked up two wins before moving on to other opportunities, leaving behind a brief but memorable chapter in Cardinals history.
Harris has long pointed to the discipline he learned in the military as a key part of what helped him navigate professional baseball, and that connection still shapes the way hes remembered around the organization. He remains involved with the Cardinals and with athletic communities, keeping one foot in the game even after his playing days shifted in a different direction. For a franchise that has seen plenty of notable debuts, his stands out because it was about more than just one outing. [Read more 🡒]