Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

After showing massive raw power on the showcase circuit as a Massachusetts high-schooler, Baez went to the Cardinals in the second round of the 2021 Draft and signed for above slot at $2.25 million. He always seemed like a long-term project, but that was hammered home when he was limited to 32 games in his first full season due to wrist surgery, repeated the Florida State League in 2023 and slashed just .225/.306/.388 in 71 games with High-A Peoria in '24 (a performance that led to a stint on the development list and a move back to Palm Beach in August). He's broken out big time during his age-22 season this year and joined the upper Minors for the first time with Double-A Springfield in late May.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Baez looks like an even bigger presence in the box, and he has the pop to match with top-end exit velocities up around 114 mph. The problem was making enough contact to tap into that slugging ability with Baez running strikeout rates above 34 percent in 2023 and '24. After making adjustments -- including standing taller in his stance -- he's turning that narrative on its head this summer with much-improved contact and chase rates, cutting down on his whiffs in particular by around 10 percentage points. He's also using the entire field more often instead of being more pull-happy.

An average runner, Baez has outperformed his pure wheels in terms of stolen-base success throughout the Minors -- a credit to him picking his spots. He still gets occasional looks in center field, but with a cannon of an arm, he's a solid fit for right field. He has the thunder to be a starter there in the bigs but needs these improvements to hold at Double-A and beyond.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40 

Baez showed immense raw power on the showcase circuit and looked like a potential long-term, high-ceiling project coming out of the Massachusetts prep ranks. The Cardinals showed they were willing to participate in that project by taking Baez in the second round in 2021 and signing him for $2.25 million, roughly slot money for a pick 22 spots ahead of him. The outfielder needed wrist surgery in May of his first full season that limited him and he finally got in a full season with Single-A Palm Beach in 2023, slashing .218/.341/.383 with seven homers and 30 steals in 91 games. 

There’s still one big reason to buy into Baez’s potential -- his double-plus raw power. The 6-foot-3, right-handed slugger had a 106.6 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity in 2023, third-best among Florida State Leaguers with at least 250 plate appearances. His 114.4 mph max EV was only bested by Willson Contreras (117.5) and Taylor Motter (114.8) among Cardinals Major Leaguers, and he did that one day after his 20th birthday. With a 12.6 percent walk rate, Baez proved fairly selective too. However, he punched out 34.1 percent of the time and had just a 72.8 percent in-zone contact rate as he often swung hard for the fences.  

A fringy runner who knows when to pick his steal attempts, Baez made the move to full-time right fielder in 2023 -- one that evaluators always expected. His plus arm strength works from that corner, but getting him away from the middle puts even more pressure on the bat. Considering Baez would be a college junior in 2024, it’s too early to give up on the project just yet, and if he can find a way to make just a tad more contact, the ceiling of a slug-heavy outfielder remains interesting. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

With immense raw power exhibited on the showcase circuit, Baez looked like a long-term, high-ceiling project coming out of the Massachusetts prep ranks, and the Cardinals exhibited a willingness to take a big swing by selecting him in the second round of the 2021 Draft and going way over slot to sign him for $2.25 million. The outfielder didn’t get much of a first full season due to a left wrist injury that required surgery in May, but when he did feature for Single-A Palm Beach, he posted a .286/.418/.540 slash line with nine extra-base hits in 20 games.

Standing tall at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Baez’s pop remains his greatest strength, and it certainly plays in games at this early stage of his career. He maxed out with a 111.6 mph exit velocity (per Statcast) in the Florida State League, and that came off rehabbing former Major Leaguer Anthony Kay in early September. If given a full season, Baez is a candidate to clear 25 homers eventually, if he makes enough contact. The right-handed slugger is guilty of overswinging to tap into that pop, and his 38 percent K and 18.8 percent swinging-strike rates with Palm Beach would be close to untenable at higher levels if he can’t adjust.

As just an average runner, Baez always seemed likely to slide over from center to right field, and he took most of his defensive starts in the corner in 2022. His absolute cannon of an arm -- he threw 97 mph off the mound as an amateur -- makes him a natural fit there, giving him another major asset in his profile and another way to cover up any lost value in his overall hit tool.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The Cardinals took a big swing by taking and signing Masyn Winn in the second round of the 2020 Draft. A year later, they applied a similar strategy in selecting Baez in exactly the same spot (54th overall) and inking him to a $2.25 million bonus, nearly $1 million above slot. The 6-foot-4 outfielder, who spent part of his childhood in the Dominican Republic, became a rare early-round prep talent from Massachusetts after exhibiting tremendous raw power at showcase circuits before the Draft. A left wrist injury required surgery back in May, causing Baez to miss 2 ½ months in his first full season.

It isn’t just raw slugging ability from the right-handed batter either. Baez produced a 107 mph exit velocity on a homer at the Area Code Games (i.e. against solid competition) and showed off the power even more regularly in games for Dexter Southfield School in the spring. In order to tap into his best offensive skill, Baez has been prone to swing for the fences often, worrying evaluators how much he’ll swing and miss in the pros. That was noticeable in the Florida Complex League, where Baez fanned 28 times in 95 plate appearances after signing, though early post-Draft performances can often be discounted coming off a long spring.

A decent runner who will test opposing catchers, the Bay State native could be a decent center fielder, and he made 17 of his 21 defensive starts up the middle in the FCL. If he slows down a touch, he is a natural candidate to slide over to right, where a cannon capable of throwing 97 mph off the mound will play well. If Baez shows even just a below-average hit tool, the power is such that he’ll still fit the corner-outfield offensive profile fine too.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Massachusetts high school baseball doesn’t tend to produce a ton of early-round talent. The last time a prep talent from the state went in the top three rounds was when the D-backs took right-hander Matt Tabor in 2017, and Isan Diaz is the next most recent position player taken that high, a second rounder -- also by Arizona -- in 2014. Baez, who had his raw power on display at a number of summer showcase circuit events and showed off his tools enough to be named the Gatorade state high school player of the year, joined them as he went 70th overall to the Cardinals. The Vanderbilt commit signed for an above-slot $2.25 million.

There might not be a player from the 2020 Draft class with more raw pop than Baez. It shows up in games against good competition, like when he crushed a home run with an exit velocity well over 100 mph at the Area Code Games. With that power comes a lot of swing and miss, especially when he gets too home-run happy. He doesn’t take bad swings or get fooled, but just swings through pitches while trying to hit the ball 600 feet every time. There is hope that when he learns to trust his strength and tone down his swing, he’ll make more contact and find his power is naturally there.

While not a burner, Baez is a solid runner who knows how to steal a base and could stick in center field for a while. If he needs to move to a corner, he should profile very well in right, with a hose for an arm that fires fastballs up to 97 mph off the mound.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Video scouting report »

Massachusetts high school baseball doesn’t tend to produce a ton of early-round talent. The last time a prep talent from the state went in the top three rounds was when the D-backs took right-hander Matt Tabor in 2017 and Isan Diaz is the most recent position player taken that high, a second rounder -- also by Arizona -- in 2014. Baez, who had his raw power on display at a number of summer showcase circuit events and showed off his tools enough to be named the Gatorade state high school player of the year, has a very good chance to join them in July.

There might not be a player in the Draft class with more raw pop than Baez. It shows up in games against good competition, like when he crushed a home run with an exit velocity well over 100 mph at the Area Code Games. With that power comes a lot of swing and miss, especially when he gets too home run happy. He doesn’t take bad swings or get fooled, but just swings through pitches while trying to hit the ball 600 feet every time. There is hope that when he learns to trust his strength and tone down his swing, he’ll make more contact and find his power is naturally there.

While not a burner, Baez is a solid runner who knows how to steal a base and could stick in center field for a while. If the Vanderbilt recruit needs to move to a corner, he should profile very well in right, with a hose for an arm that fires fastballs up to 97 mph off the mound.

Awards

TEX Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

TEX Player of the Week

Week	Team
06/22/2025

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/02/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/18/2025	St. Louis Cardinals selected the contract of RF Joshua Baez from Springfield Cardinals.
	05/29/2025	OF Joshua Baez assigned to Springfield Cardinals from Peoria Chiefs.
	04/01/2025	OF Joshua Baez assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	03/11/2025	RF Joshua Baez assigned to St. Louis Cardinals Prospects.
	02/26/2025	RF Joshua Baez assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	08/19/2024	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez.
	08/19/2024	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez.
	07/30/2024	OF Joshua Baez assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from Peoria Chiefs.
	07/30/2024	Palm Beach Cardinals transferred OF Joshua Baez to the Development List.
	04/03/2024	OF Joshua Baez assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	03/07/2024	St. Louis Cardinals Prospects activated OF Joshua Baez.
	02/24/2024	OF Joshua Baez assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	06/23/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez from the temporarily inactive list.
	06/23/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez from the temporarily inactive list.
	06/17/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals placed OF Joshua Baez on the temporarily inactive list.
	03/10/2023	OF Joshua Baez and assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	08/16/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez from the 7-day injured list.
	08/16/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals activated OF Joshua Baez from the 7-day injured list.
	07/29/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals sent OF Joshua Baez on a rehab assignment to FCL Cardinals.
	07/29/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals sent OF Joshua Baez on a rehab assignment to FCL Cardinals.
	05/18/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals placed OF Joshua Baez on the 7-day injured list.
	05/18/2022	Palm Beach Cardinals placed OF Joshua Baez on the 7-day injured list.
	05/16/2022	OF Joshua Baez assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from FCL Cardinals.
	04/04/2022	OF Joshua Baez and assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	08/02/2021	OF Joshua Baez assigned to FCL Cardinals.
	07/19/2021	St. Louis Cardinals signed OF Joshua Baez.
	06/15/2020	OF Joshua Baez assigned to PG National 1 - Black.
	06/15/2020	OF Joshua Baez assigned to PG National 1 - Black.