Joshua Baez News: Having breakout season

Baez went 3-for-3 with two home runs Thursday and is slashing .311/.397/.689 with six long balls in 18 games since being promoted to Double-A Springfield.

Baez's physical tools compelled the Cardinals to select him in the second round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, but it took until 2025 for him to finally show signs of a breakout. The 21-year-old has slashed .316/.402/.544 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases between High-A Peoria and Springfield this season, he's struck out at a 23.7 percent rate, which is a massive improvement on the 35.5 percent rate he had last year. He'll have to show he can continue improving his contact rate as he faces better pitching, but his raw power and speed give Baez intriguing fantasy potential.