Joshua Baez's Four-Homer Bombfest: The Cardinals Are Moving Him Up and Nobody Can Stop It

Alright, Mariners fans, I know our hearts bleed green and blue, but we gotta talk about something wild happening in baseball right now, because it's the kind of power surge that makes you sit up and pay attention across the league. Just the other day, this kid Joshua Baez, only 22, went absolutely bonkers. He launched four home runs in a single game! Four! That's so rare that only 21 major leaguers have ever pulled it off. This isn't just a monster performance, it's the latest explosion in what might just be a historic power surge, and it looks like the Cardinals are about to unleash him on the big leagues.

The Power Numbers Are INSANE

Seriously, you can't doubt Baez's power anymore. That four-homer game on Tuesday pushed him to 12 dingers in his last 18 games alone. Twelve! He's already set a career high for home runs this year. We're talking about a guy whose average exit velocity is 92.5 mph and maxes out at 114.1 mph. Those aren't just good numbers, those are top 10 percent numbers at Triple-A. Two of those homers the other day? Over 108 mph off the bat. Pure screamers. In 2025, he was solid with a .287 batting average, 20 homers, and a crazy 54 stolen bases in 418 at-bats, rocking an .884 OPS. But this year? He's at a .282 ave

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rage in 252 at-bats with 23 homers, 12 stolen bases, and a ridiculous .976 OPS. The dude is just crushing it.

Is There a Catch? The K Rate Problem

Okay, so you're thinking, "What's the catch?" And there's a fair question to ask. Coming into this year, his strikeout rate had ballooned to over 30 percent, which has been pretty typical for his minor league career. That's a red flag, especially since he broke out last year with a much better 21 percent rate. You don't often see major leaguers excel with a K rate over 30 percent. But honestly, watching him go off like this, it's clear he's breaking out in a completely different way in 2026. The Cardinals have already started their youth movement, bringing up Blaze Jordan at third base and Jimmy Crooks at catcher. With Baez potentially stepping in for Nathan Church in center field, it feels like only a matter of time before he's smashing bombs in the big leagues. While we're tracking the next big thing across the league, let's not forget our own guys at T-Mobile Park. We just saw our Mariners snag a solid 3-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Every win counts, every swing matters, and every game is a step in the journey. This is what early season baseball is all about, watching the talent emerge and seeing who's going to make a statement for the whole year. Keep that energy, Seattle!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.