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Joshua Báez hits three home runs in record-setting major league debut

Joshua Báez of the St. Louis Cardinals became the first player to hit home runs in his first three major league at-bats during an 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Published August 15, 2026 at 6:49 PM EDT

The short answer

Joshua Báez of the St. Louis Cardinals became the first player to hit home runs in his first three major league at-bats during an 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Joshua Báez hits three home runs in record-setting major league debut

The Facts

Who
Joshua Báez, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs
What
Joshua Báez hit three home runs in his first three major league at-bats.
When
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Where
Not reported (St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs)
Why
Báez became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats.

Joshua Báez became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit home runs in each of his first three at-bats during his debut game. The performance took place on Saturday as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs with a final score of 8-4.

The source reports that while other players have hit multiple home runs in their debuts, Báez's achievement of three home runs in his first three consecutive at-bats is a new major league record. The specific pitchers or innings involved in the achievement were not reported in the provided text.

Báez led the Cardinals' offensive performance in the victory over their divisional rivals. The 8-4 win concludes the game for the St. Louis team, though the source does not provide additional individual statistics for other players or further scoring details beyond the final result.

The scale of this event is measured by its uniqueness in the history of the sport, which dates back to the 19th century. While the source does not report the specific attendance at the stadium or the television viewership for the broadcast, such record-breaking performances typically gain national attention across sports media platforms and among the millions of MLB fans globally. For the St. Louis Cardinals organization, the performance contributed directly to a win against the Chicago Cubs.

What happens next: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs will continue their schedules as reported, though specific dates for upcoming games were not included in the source. As a result of this performance, Báez's status on the active roster and his future appearances in the starting lineup will likely be monitored by league analysts and team management. No specific post-game disciplinary actions, roster moves, or upcoming league ceremonies were reported.

Summaries are written by The Plain Record to state the facts of a story plainly and without political slant. See our editorial standards, or report a correction.

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Questions readers ask

What happened: Joshua Báez hits three home runs in record-setting major league debut?

Joshua Báez hit three home runs in his first three major league at-bats.

Who is involved?

Joshua Báez, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs

When did this happen?

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Where did this happen?

Not reported (St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs)

Why does this matter?

Báez became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats.