Imagine waiting your entire life to make it to Major League Baseball.

You finally step to the plate.

First pitch.

Home run.

Then you come up again.

Another home run.

And then somehow, you do it AGAIN.

That’s exactly how 23-year-old Dominican-American outfielder Joshua Báez introduced himself to Major League Baseball.

Báez made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on August 15 at Chicago’s legendary Wrigley Field and proceeded to do something that had never happened before in Major League history.

He homered in each of his first three career at-bats.

Three at-bats.

Three home runs.

History.

Báez crushed the very first pitch he saw in the majors an estimated 449 feet, immediately announcing his arrival with a two-run homer.

Then came his second at-bat.

Home run.

By the time Báez stepped to the plate for a third time in the sixth inning, what was already an incredible debut became something completely unprecedented.

He went deep again.

According to MLB, Báez became the first player in Major League history to hit home runs in each of his first three career at-bats — and the first player ever to hit three home runs in his MLB debut.

He finished the afternoon 3-for-4 with three home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored as St. Louis defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-4.

And his family was sitting in the stands watching the whole thing happen.

That makes the story even better.

Báez was born in Boston to Dominican parents and spent part of his childhood growing up in Santo Domingo before returning to Massachusetts. Baseball eventually took him from high school prospect to the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft and through five years of development in the Cardinals organization.

His journey wasn’t always smooth.

There were struggles in the minor leagues and adjustments to his swing along the way. But by 2026, Báez had become one of the most dangerous power hitters in Triple-A, smashing 34 home runs before finally receiving the call every minor-league player dreams about.

Then he arrived in the majors and apparently decided one home run wasn’t dramatic enough.

Or two.

So he hit three.

Baseball and the Dominican Republic have one of the deepest relationships in professional sports. From Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz to Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols and countless others, Dominican players have left an enormous mark on Major League Baseball.

Nobody knows yet what kind of career Joshua Báez will have.

But there’s one thing nobody will ever be able to take away from him.

Of all the players who have stepped onto a Major League Baseball field throughout its history, Joshua Báez was the first to begin his career like this.

Three at-bats.

Three home runs.

Not bad for your first day at work.