Cardinals' Top Prospect Joshua Baez Continues to Build His Case for MLB Call-Up

St. Louis will seemingly have a decision to make soon

Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Joshua Baez (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Báez keeps slugging his way into the conversation to be added to the big league lineup at some point in the second half of the 2026 season.

Báez, the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, went 1-for-4 at the plate on Friday in his first Triple-A game after the All-Star break. That one hit, though, was a majestic grand slam in the third inning of the Memphis Redbirds' 10-9 win over the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old's booming blast came off the bat at 108.8 mph and traveled 473 feet to center field. He also launched his towering homer against the Cubs' top pitching prospect, right-hander Jaxon Wiggins.

After his latest long ball, Báez now has 29 homers this season, which leads the International League. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are tied for the 20th-most home runs in the majors (108) so far in 2026. With that in mind, it seems like the righty-swinging slugger could add some more firepower to St. Louis' roster ahead of a potential playoff push.

How much longer will Joshua Báez remain in the minors?

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez (22) throws a ball during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall, Báez has a .250 batting average, a .322 on-base percentage, and a .900 OPS with 29 homers, 73 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 83 Triple-A games this year. This is also the 23-year-old's first season in Triple-A, which makes his immediate offensive success at this level arguably even more impressive. In 2025, the young outfielder made his Double-A debut and hit .287 with 20 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 54 stolen bases in 117 games across two minor league levels.

The Cardinals enter Saturday's action at 51-45, currently battling the Miami Marlins for sole possession of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. It's unclear exactly how St. Louis plans to approach the upcoming trade deadline, but from an outside perspective, Báez is putting up numbers that are hard to ignore. Depending on what moves the Cardinals make over the next few weeks, the power-hitting outfielder should be one of the most likely prospects to be called up to the majors at some point this season.

It seems like it's only a matter of time until Báez is blasting baseballs out of Busch Stadium.