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Seems like we've been hearing about him forever and I'm sure many of us have a case of prospect fatigue when it comes to guys that have been around that long, but it helps you to remember that these young guys often take a while to develop. And I really hope that is what this is. I kind of wrote him off, but it's fun seeing him do what he's doing.

Ronnie Dobbs wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 18:50 pm Seems like we've been hearing about him forever and I'm sure many of us have a case of prospect fatigue when it comes to guys that have been around that long, but it helps you to remember that these young guys often take a while to develop. And I really hope that is what this is. I kind of wrote him off, but it's fun seeing him do what he's doing.

Agree. It’s amazing that he’s a year younger than Wetherholt and two years younger than Chase Davis.

ClassicO wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 18:52 pmAgree. It’s amazing that he’s a year younger than Wetherholt and two years younger than Chase Davis.

Exactly!!

And speaking of guys a year younger than Wetherholt, has anyone seen what Leonardo Bernal is doing in AA?? Oh my!!

Ronnie Dobbs wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 19:00 pm

ClassicO wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 18:52 pmAgree. It’s amazing that he’s a year younger than Wetherholt and two years younger than Chase Davis.

Exactly!!

And speaking of guys a year younger than Wetherholt, has anyone seen what Leonardo Bernal is doing in AA?? Oh my!!

Yeah, makes you wonder if he’d already be up at AAA if it weren’t for Crooks. Who while isn’t tearing it up quite as much has been no slouch.

Any relation to Joan Baez? Great folk singer. Used to be really pretty. Nice part in the movie "Like a man with no name".

https://www.milb.com/player/joshua-baez-695491

can this be true? it says Baez is 6'3" 220 lbs. and he's stolen 98 bases, caught 14 times in 5 seasons, including 20 and 2 at peoria this year and 4 and 1 so far at Springfield. sounds crazy for such a big guy to be such a good base stealer.

If Baez makes it to the MLB with his current skill set intact, he would be a prime candidate for the leadoff spot. With his high OBP and base stealing ability, all his home runs will just be icing on the cake. I could see a 2027 line up of LF Baez, 2B Wetherholt, 3B Donovan, 1B Contreras, DH Herrera, RF Walker, C Bernal, SS Winn, CF VSII. That leaves a bench of maybe C Crooks, IF Saggese, OF Nootbaar, 3B/DH Arenado. Of course, what happens to Burleson and Gorman I couldn't tell you, lol. And even Chas Davis might be in the mix. With trades and underperformance, it will work itself out.

I think the Baez/Wetherholt 1,2 would be fruitful.

boulanger wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 23:57 pm https://www.milb.com/player/joshua-baez-695491

can this be true? it says Baez is 6'3" 220 lbs. and he's stolen 98 bases, caught 14 times in 5 seasons, including 20 and 2 at peoria this year and 4 and 1 so far at Springfield. sounds crazy for such a big guy to be such a good base stealer.

He's thick, I'd be surprised if he's still only 220...

I was very excited when we drafted him. He was one of the highest rated HS prospects in the nation (#7 overall, #2 OF behind James Wood). Coupled with that, he was committed to go play at Vanderbilt. Vandy is a powerhouse in the SEC and their coach, Tim Corbin, is a hell of a leader both on and off the field. I think it's a testament to Baez as a player and as a person that Corbin wanted him in his OF. Hope he continues his progression and becomes a contributor on a winning team in St Louis.

Joshua Baez 2021 Player Profile

I think the key will be to see if he can keep progressing to Triple A this year, hopefully. If so and does well there, we may have a future stud. Dude is still young and maybe it just took a while for the light to come on. Having new leadership over the minors, maybe they found some things. I mean the guy came from the Northeast, not exactly known for baseball roots, so maybe he was also getting adjusted to players at his playing level too.

Othawhitemeat wrote: ↑12 Jun 2025 09:45 am I think the key will be to see if he can keep progressing to Triple A this year, hopefully. If so and does well there, we may have a future stud. Dude is still young and maybe it just took a while for the light to come on. Having new leadership over the minors, maybe they found some things. I mean the guy came from the Northeast, not exactly known for baseball roots, so maybe he was also getting adjusted to players at his playing level too.

He should not go to AAA this year. If you think of that as "the key", your expectations are completely out of whack.

Maintaining plate discipline and getting to respectable contact rates in AA are of immense importance.

An Old Friend wrote: ↑12 Jun 2025 11:45 am

Othawhitemeat wrote: ↑12 Jun 2025 09:45 am I think the key will be to see if he can keep progressing to Triple A this year, hopefully. If so and does well there, we may have a future stud. Dude is still young and maybe it just took a while for the light to come on. Having new leadership over the minors, maybe they found some things. I mean the guy came from the Northeast, not exactly known for baseball roots, so maybe he was also getting adjusted to players at his playing level too.

He should not go to AAA this year. If you think of that as "the key", your expectations are completely out of whack.

Maintaining plate discipline and getting to respectable contact rates in AA are of immense importance.

I do agree with your bottom part, but in terms of growth, I think if we see him in Triple A, that means we saw he continued w/ plate discipline & contact rates. I don't know how much longer he is on until we have to put him on 40 man or risk losing him. I just think if we see he continues, we are saying a possible stud in the making. JMO.

An Old Friend wrote: ↑12 Jun 2025 08:22 am

boulanger wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 23:57 pm https://www.milb.com/player/joshua-baez-695491

can this be true? it says Baez is 6'3" 220 lbs. and he's stolen 98 bases, caught 14 times in 5 seasons, including 20 and 2 at peoria this year and 4 and 1 so far at Springfield. sounds crazy for such a big guy to be such a good base stealer.

He's thick, I'd be surprised if he's still only 220...

"He's thick" ?! Are you watching his games on MiLB? He looks fit and trim, and he's fast, like a WR in football.

Cranny wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 15:39 pm

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 14:41 pm

An Old Friend wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 14:29 pm

rockondlouie wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 11:00 am

3dender wrote: ↑11 Jun 2025 09:20 am Finally putting it together, crazy this is already his 5th year in the org.

Took him 2+ years to figure out Low-A, but seems like once he finally did last year he hasn't looked back.

Turns 22 in a few weeks. What a boost this would be for the org if he's big-league ready by the end of next year.

Anyone know how his defense looks?

Late bloomer?

Keep it up kid

He’s a beast.

Not really a late bloomer. Super talented cold weather kid who was young when drafted. You don’t see anything near the caliber of pitching in the northeast to meaningfully prepare you for pro ball velocity and spin.

It is awesome to see him having success.

I think he can play center field but his size ultimately settles him in as a plus defender in a corner.

Agreed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the new regime had a hand in fully developing Walker, Baez, and Davis.

They do............well maybe not Walker but the kids down below are already getting the Bloom/Cerfolio development treatment!

The thing about Joshua is that he has always shown 3 of the 5 tools to be a 5 tool player. Contact and power hitting are the 2 things he had not done well. Of course, the minors are strewn with non-hitting, defensive 3 tool players, so, we tend not to be excited until the show the ability to hit, and especially for power. Remember 2015 1st round pick, Nick Plummer. He never figured hitting out, and was a bust. Plummer was another northern, cold weather player they thought might take a little longer to figure out pitching. Baez was about one more bad season away from being a bust, maybe 2. Most of us never get any inside information as to why one player fails, and another one succeeds. All we can do is draft the potential, give direction, and hope for the best. Eventually, and hopefully Baez is the exception, a high potential, toolsy player figures out the better pitching. It's a bit of a (bleep) shoot, but, you can't win if you don't play!