MLB
Baez was a 2021 graduate of Dexter Southfield School in Brookline.
Joshua Baez made the city of Boston proud during his MLB debut on Saturday. AP Photo/Paul Beaty
August 15, 2026 | 6:20 PM
2 minutes to read
A local baseball product made history on Saturday afternoon.
Joshua Baez, who was born in Boston in 2003, clubbed three home runs in his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals against their National League rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Baez’s first homer came in his first career at-bat in the first inning, a 449-foot two-run shot to center field. The long ball put St. Louis up 3-0.
His second dinger came in his very next at-bat, a tie-breaking solo home run in the fourth frame to give the Cardinals a 4-3 advantage. The ball traveled 382 feet to left field.
Following the pattern, Baez deposited a third homer in his third career at-bat in the sixth inning, this time a 368-footer to right field. It improved St. Louis’ lead to 6-3.
His fourth at-bat didn’t produce a fourth long ball. Instead, he recorded the first out of his MLB career: a lineout to the left fielder.
Baez’s unbelievable performance made him the first player in league history to hit three homers in one’s debut, an incredible feat considering 23,752 individuals have played in the majors, according to Baseball Reference (as of Saturday afternoon).
The slugger’s immediate offensive success didn’t come as a surprise. Baez leads all of Triple-A with 34 home runs, which is seven more than the next player. He also leads AAA in RBI (90) and runs (79).
The 23-year-old, who was drafted No. 54 overall by the Cardinals in 2021, was a 2021 graduate of Dexter Southfield School in Brookline. He was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year as a junior in 2020 although no games were played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The accolade recognized his work ethic and potential for success because of his raw skills on the diamond.
Before attending Dexter, Baez went to Cristo Rey Boston High School as a freshman and Snowden International School as a sophomore. He and his family moved to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, when he was an infant, before moving to Dorchester when he was a sixth grader.
Baez learned English in middle school upon returning to the States.
The former Dorchester resident enjoys eating at the city’s El Dugout and Nick’s Pizza restaurants, according to his MLB.com bio.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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