PEORIA — Josh Baez earned a place on the Peoria Chiefs wall of fame, where former members of the Midwest League team are honored after they reach the majors. The slugger also earned a place in baseball history Saturday, making an unforgettable Major League debut, one that will be referenced as perhaps the greatest ever. The 6-foot-3 St. Louis Cardinals prospect was called-up by the parent club for its game against Chicago at Wrigley Field, and bashed three home runs, including one on the first major-league pitch he saw. No player in baseball history had hammered three home runs in their debut.
Who is Josh Baez? Baez had 34 home runs at Class-AAA Memphis this season. And he's just a little more than a year removed from playing for Peoria at Dozer Park. Baez hit four home runs in 38 games for the Chiefs last season, and debuted here in 2024 with 10 homers in 71 games. He didn't play organized baseball until he was 11 years old, a fact he shared in his life story told to the Journal Star in 2024. From humble beginnings, he ended up as a second-round draft pick by St. Louis and now holds a place in baseball lore. "I didn't get picked right away on draft day," Baez said. "But my agent called me in the second round and said, 'Cardinals are going to take you.' "You wait for that moment your whole life. I remember the call, I remember a bottle of champagne popping open and my family screaming and celebrating."
More: This humble St. Louis Cardinals elite prospect brings power, MLB dreams to Peoria Chiefs Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Before historic MLB debut, Cardinals slugger Josh Baez played in Peoria