Baez-Ic Instinct

Joshua Baez (STL): 3-4, 3 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI.

With the St. Louis Cardinals reeling after the All-Star Break, the promotion of Joshua Baez makes sense as an effort to give the club one last jolt toward the finish line. After all, in 461 plate appearances in Triple-A Memphis, Baez hit 34 home runs and posted a .901 OPS, all while showing prodigious power, even in a typically hitter-friendly Triple-A environment.

That said, there were concerns about Baez’s possible transition to the major leagues. He hit just .256 in Memphis, and a big reason for that lower-than-ideal average was 136 strikeouts to only 37 walks. That’s good for a 0.27 BB/K ratio. It’s hard for a player to find MLB success with a BB/K ratio that low, even for a hitter with such a talented power tool like Baez.

Despite those inklings of skepticism going into Saturday’s debut, Baez blew the expectations out of the water against the rival Cubs.

In his first three at-bats, he had three home runs. That’s right. His first three career MLB hits were all home runs. He also drove in five runs on Saturday. All at Wrigley Field in front of the rival Cubbie faithful.

That’s one heck of a debut, and one that will be etched into the record book, plain and simple.

The strikeouts will probably still be a concern long-term, or at least for the remainder of 2026. He also will have to show that he can not just lower the strikeouts but increase the walks as well to be a viable option long-term in St. Louis (and fantasy to boot).

But for now, let’s just relish and enjoy the debut that Baez put up on Saturday. We will be hard-pressed as baseball fans to see that kind of performance again.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday

 

Nolan Arenado (ARI): 2-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB.

Arenado’s strong second half continued on Saturday. In addition to hitting his 19th and 20th homers of the year, he also improved his OPS to .886 in the second half, a 155-point improvement from before the All-Star Break. After two lackluster offensive seasons in St. Louis, Arenado has produced his best season offensively since 2023, when he last was an All-Star.

 

Cole Young (SEA): 3-5, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.

The Mariners’ playoff chances are looking slimmer by the day, but they at least played spoiler in Houston on Saturday. Young had three hits, collected four RBI, and hit his 15th home run of the year in a 10-5 win. With a .262 average and .726 OPS, Young is proving to be a nice option at the keystone in fantasy.

 

Drew Gilbert (SFG): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Giants leadoff hitter Gilbert set the tone in a 7-1 win over the Rockies. The former first-round pick had three hits, three RBI, and launched his sixth home run of the year. After an uneven first half, Gilbert is hitting .262 with a .749 OPS in 77 plate appearances after the All-Star Break.

 

Matt McLain (CIN): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.

It seems unlikely that McLain will ever match the numbers he put up in 2023 (16 homers, .290 average, and .864 OPS). After .220 with a .648 OPS last year, he’s hitting .197 with a .648 OPS this year. He did hit his 11th home run on Saturday and stole his 14th base of the year as well. That said, it’s hard to roster in fantasy a guy who’s a No. 9 hitter on a losing team.

 

Henry Bolte (ATH): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Rookie Bolte is trying to make his mark during a lost Athletics season. Hitting in the leadoff spot on Saturday, the 23-year-old rookie had three hits, three RBI, and hit his sixth home run of the year. With a .262 average and .705 OPS in 294 plate appearances, he’s been a solid but flawed hitter better suited for dynasty or deep leagues.

 

Wilyer Abreu (BOS): 3-4, 2 2B, HR, R, RBI.

On Saturday, Abreu matched his HR total from 2025, hitting his 22nd home run of the year in a 4-0 win over the Pirates. He also had three hits, two doubles, and an RBI. Abreu may not always get the most attention (mostly due to a .259 average), but he’s been one of the more productive and dependable outfielders in the American League this season.

 

Jakob Marsee (MIA): 4-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.

After hitting .292 with an .841 OPS in 234 plate appearances as a rookie last year, Marsee has taken a huge step back in 2026. He’s hitting .212 with a .646 OPS in 471 plate appearances. That said, he has big days in him, and Saturday was a prime example. In a win over the Reds, Marsee had four hits, launched his seventh home run of the year, and scored two runs. More days like this down the stretch would help Marsee’s fantasy draft stock for 2027.

 

Isaac Paredes (HOU): 3-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

The Astros lost, but don’t blame Paredes, who had three hits and collected his 16th home run of the year. The batting average is better this year for Paredes, and the OBP is around the same, but the slugging is 33 points down, which explains why his OPS has gone from .810 in 2025 to .775 in 2026. Still, Paredes is on pace for another 20-homer season, which is acceptable for this Astros team.

 

Eduardo Valencia (DET): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

The Tigers ceded some ground to the White Sox in the AL Central after losing 4-3 on Saturday. One of the encouraging stories on Saturday, however, was rookie Valencia, who had two hits and launched his sixth home run this season. The rookie catcher is hitting .404 with a 1.296 OPS in 54 plate appearances this season. Even if the Tigers miss the playoffs, Valencia and Dillon Dingler should give Detroit a formidable backstop pair in 2027.