At the time of writing, the St Louis Cardinals are third in the National League Central with a 43-38 record, but have lost seven of their last ten games. They are not bad, but nor are they good. They are mediocre, hoping for an infusion of talent to close the gap to the Chicago Cubs that is already an alarming 7.5 games, and only getting bigger.
Perhaps, though, that talent infusion is already in the house. At the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, prospect Joshua Baez has reached the point where the question is no longer whether he deserves a major-league opportunity. The question is what, exactly, the Cardinals are waiting for.
The 22-year-old outfielder has spent the 2026 season doing just about everything a prospect can reasonably be asked to do at Triple-A. He has hit for power, leading the international league in home runs with 26 (and with a substantial gap to the field), and has further shown the athleticism that has made him one of the most intriguing players in the Cardinals’ farm system since he was drafted in 2021.
Power, Speed and Ks
Of course, that alone does not guarantee a promotion. If it did, Baez would have had one by now. Plenty of players have put up impressive numbers in Triple-A only to struggle in the majors. The Cardinals know that as well as anyone. But there comes a point when a prospect’s development is no longer being served by facing the same level of competition every day. And Baez may have reached that point.
The biggest concern surrounding Baez’s game was his contact rate. And for all the home runs, it still is. The raw tools were obvious – he has power, speed, arm strength and the ability to play all three outfield positions. The issue was turning those tools into production, especially with the strikeouts.
The strikeout rate is still high. In 291 at-bats so far in 2026, Baez has struck out 99 times against only 22 walks, regressing in both areas after heartening improvements last campaign. When he makes contact, he can strike the moon, but contact rate can be a good indicator of major league success, and Baez’s is not good.
Nonetheless, Baez is one of the best hitters in Triple-A. He is one of the top prospects in the organisation, stole 54 bases last season, and is producing against the highest level of minor-league pitching available, most of which has or will been in the major leagues at some point. There is very little left for him to prove there.
The question becomes whether the Cardinals think it better serves the franchise for him to be an everyday player in Memphis, or a some-days player at the big league level. If the Cardinals believe everyday at-bats are important to Baez’s continued development, they may prefer that he receive those opportunities in Memphis rather than sporadic appearances off the bench in the majors. But they may not be right about that.
Cardinals Do Have Some Immediate Need
For all his defensive and base running prowess, Victor Scott – the regular center fielder – continues to drown at the plate. For each night his OPS borders on dipping into the .400s, the lure of the unproven becomes stronger.
At the same time, teams do not call prospects up only because of what goes before. They call them up because they believe they can help win games, and in accordance with their own development timeline. That said, if the Cardinals are trying to compete, and believe Baez is one of their best offensive options, roster convenience should not become the deciding factor.
The reality is that there is only one way to answer the remaining questions about his game. Triple-A cannot provide those answers anymore. Major-league pitching can. If it needs to be seen if Baez can handle elite velocity consistently, make enough contact against high-level breaking balls, and translate his power immediately, the only meaningful test left is facing major-league competition.
Although Chaim Bloom recently spoke of the need for patience, and heavily hinted that a call-up is not imminent, keeping Baez in Triple-A is becoming increasingly difficult to justify. At 22 years old, Joshua Baez has earned the chance to show what he can do in St. Louis. The Cardinals should give him that chance.
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