Joshua Baez
St. Louis Cardinals
Outfielder
Born: (2003-06-28) June 28, 2003
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right

Joshua Emanuel Baez (born June 28, 2003) is a Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Early life and amateur career

Baez was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to Santo Domingo as an infant where he was raised before he and his family moved back to Boston and into the neighborhood of Dorchester when he was in sixth grade.[1][2][3] He knew no English and used Google Translate to communicate.[4] He began his high school career at Cristo Rey Boston High School and transferred to Snowden International School as a sophomore where he threw up to 97 miles per hour as a pitcher while also batting .442 with twenty RBIs and 11 stolen bases.[5][6]

Prior to his junior year, Baez transferred to Dexter Southfield School.[7] He was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year as a junior in 2020, despite there being no season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, due to his work ethic and potential.[8] In a shortened 2021 season in which he appeared in 16 games, he hit .378 with three home runs alongside pitching to a 1.94 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 18 innings.[9][10] He committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University.[11]

Professional career

Baez was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round with the 54th overall selection of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.[12][13] He signed with the Cardinals for $2.25 million.[14] He made his professional debut in early August with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Cardinals.[15] Over 76 at-bats, Baez hit .158 with two home runs, eight RBIs, three doubles, 28 strikeouts, and 14 walks.[16]

Baez began the 2022 season in extended spring training.[17] In mid-May, he was assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A Florida State League. After one game, he was placed on the injured list with a left wrist sprain.[18] He rehabbed with in the Florida Complex League and then returned to play in mid-August.[19] Over 32 games between the two teams, he batted .267 with four home runs, 21 RBIs, and ten stolen bases.[20] Baez returned to Palm Beach for the 2023 season.[21] Over 91 games, he hit .218 with seven home runs, 36 RBIs, and thirty stolen bases.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Joshua Baez, 17-year-old slugger and likely MLB draftee, making Boston proud". Foxsports.com.
  2. ↑ "Dexter Southfield ballplayer Josh Baez considered first-round talent". Boston Herald. May 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ Gammons, Peter. "Gammons: Prospects have talent and drive, even as baseball opportunities shrink". The Athletic.
  4. ↑ Castiglione, Duke (May 15, 2021). "Meet a 17-year-old from Mass. who is drawing dozens of big league scouts". Wcvb.com.
  5. ↑ "Better than George Springer? Dorchester's Josh Baez has 'major-league tools all over the place'". Boston Globe.
  6. ↑ "Cards pony up to lure CF Báez from Vandy". MLB.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Dahn, Jeff (November 9, 2020). "Boston's Baez lives for the summer". Perfectgame.org.
  8. ↑ "No baseball, but Josh Baez is player of the year anyway". Boston Herald. May 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ Askeland, Kevin. "2021 MaxPreps All-America Team: Louisiana pitcher Jack Walker headlines high school baseball's best". MaxPreps.
  10. ↑ "Work ethic on and off the field, and long home runs, tell just part of the story of Cardinals draft pick Joshua Baez". Ksdk.com. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "2021 first-rounder? Dexter star Joshua Baez hits 97 mph on radar gun". New England Baseball Journal. June 11, 2020.
  12. ↑ Goold, Derrick. "Joshua Baez Adds To Cardinals' Young Hitting Depth". Baseballamerica.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals pick Vanderbilt baseball signee Joshua Baez in Round 2 of 2021 MLB Draft". The Tennessean.
  14. ↑ "Dorchester's Josh Báez chooses Cardinals over college, signs for $2.25 million - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  15. ↑ @RobRains (August 2, 2021). "Joshua Baez, #STLCards second-round pick, is making his pro debut today for the Florida Complex League team, playin…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ↑ "These Cardinals prospects are on the rise". MLB.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "'What I'm looking for this year is consistency': In first full year of pro ball, Baez aims for adjustments".
  18. ↑ "Cardinals' Joshua Baez: Placed on injured list".
  19. ↑ "Cardinals' Joshua Baez: In midst of rehab assignment".
  20. ↑ "Joshua Baez Stats, Fantasy & News".
  21. ↑ https://www.mlb.com/news/where-cardinals-top-prospects-are-starting-2023-season
  22. ↑ https://www.milb.com/player/joshua-baez-695491


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