The St. Louis Cardinals have remained in the Wild Card mix for much of the season, but they now find themselves just outside the playoff picture.
Given that this season was expected to be a rebuilding year, simply being this close to contention is a major positive. The year has gone particularly well thanks to the emergence of several key prospects and young players. Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt could soon be joined by another exciting young talent.
According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Cardinals are reportedly preparing to promote outfield prospect Joshua Baez to the major leagues. The 34-home-run outfield prospect is finally set to get his opportunity, giving Cardinals fans another exciting player to watch.
Cardinals reportedly set to promote Joshua Baez
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“According to my sources, Dominican outfielder Joshua Baez has been called up to the Major Leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals,” Rodriguez reports.
If the promotion becomes official, it would be a significant move for the Cardinals. While nothing has been confirmed yet, the report gives fans plenty of reason to be excited.
The 23-year-old Baez is one of the Cardinals’ top prospects. Raniel Rodriguez, Liam Doyle, and Alexander Frias are all talented prospects, but they’re farther away from the majors than Baez, who now appears to be getting his opportunity.
The right-handed-hitting outfielder has certainly earned the chance. In 103 games and 410 at-bats with Triple-A this season, Baez is batting .256 with a .901 OPS.
He has collected 105 hits, scored 79 runs, and recorded 22 doubles, three triples, and 34 home runs. Baez also has 90 RBIs and 37 walks. Strikeouts remain an issue, as he has fanned 136 times this season, but his tremendous power is something that makes him especially exciting.
Baez has also shown that he can contribute on the bases. He has stolen 21 bases this season after swiping 54 last year, 29 in 2023, and 30 in 2022.
Seeing Baez in the Cardinals’ lineup should be a lot of fun. Pairing him with Walker, Wetherholt, Alec Burleson, and Ivan Herrera could give St. Louis a very intriguing young offense.
The promotion hasn’t been made official yet, but Cardinals fans should expect Baez to reach the majors very soon. If he does, his debut could be one of the most exciting moments of the season.