More than 23,000 players have appeared in at least one major league baseball game, and until Saturday afternoon at Wrigley, none had homered three times in their debut.

Joshua Báez did it in his first three at-bats. The first pitch he saw was like a scene from a movie. A 93 mph fastball from Matthew Boyd that he sent 449 feet into the center field bleachers, the longest first-pitch homer of the Statcast era. He sent the second one to left, and the third and final home run to right. He finished three for four with five RBIs and 12 total bases, tying the debut record J.P. Arencibia set in 2010. Only Bob Nieman in 1951 had gone deep in his first two career at-bats, and before Saturday nobody had debuted with a three-homer game.

Báez was born in Boston, raised in Santo Domingo after his family returned there when he was an infant, then back to Dorchester at 11. He taught himself English and became an honor student at Dexter Southfield in Brookline, a school with just one prior draft pick to its name. He was Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year before St. Louis took him 54th overall in 2021.

His father Jose Manuel played into his mid thirties and never got the chance to sign professionally. He died June 16, 2023. Three years to the day later, Báez hit four homers in a minor league game, one of only 14 to do that in two decades. Manager Oliver Marmol says his confidence screams at you.

At 17 he cleared the Dunkin' scoreboard cup in Hartford, something the park's owners had never seen. Only six minor leaguers carry a higher power grade. His 37 homers across all levels this year ties Kyle Schwarber for the most in baseball, and his 473-foot grand slam ranked third longest in the minors.

Sunday he went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts.

⚾ Chasing the Longball Jackpot Tonight?

Jaxon has projections, live odds, hit rates, and a confidence score for every home run prop on the slate, so you're not just guessing who goes deep.

💣️ Longball Pick of the Day

While we’re on the topic of home runs, Mason Barnett has a home run problem that goes well past variance. He has allowed 11 long balls across 38 innings, a 2.61 HR/9 mark that ranks 552nd out of 575 qualified pitchers, and he has given up three in each of his last two starts.

The batted ball profile explains it. His 47.7% fly ball rate sits in the 14th percentile, and 21.2% of those fly balls leave the yard, a figure in the 5th percentile and more than double league average. Hitters are barreling him at a 10.1% clip. His 6.16 ERA and 1.45 WHIP are the results.

Barnett has surrendered a .993 OPS to left handed hitters this season against just .568 versus righties, and Kansas City can run out seven bats with the advantage tonight, including Michael Massey and Carter Jensen, but Caglianone is the play.

Jac Caglianone Anytime Home Run (+405)

Jac Caglianone’s contact quality ranks among the best in the sport: a 93.27 mph average exit velocity that ranks 14th and lands in the 97th percentile, a 55.4% hard hit rate good for 10th and the 98th percentile, and a 14.8% barrel rate in the 94th. He has 22 home runs and a .494 slugging mark, both in the 93rd percentile or better.

The form matches the stats. A 13 game hitting streak just ended, and across his last 15 games he has six homers, 21 RBIs, and a .410/.419/.770 line. Over the last ten he is 17 for 38 with four homers and three doubles.

Kauffman suppresses home runs at an 86 factor despite ranking ninth overall in park factor at 101, and Caglianone's 7.62 degree average launch angle sits in the 11th percentile, meaning he hits the ball hard but not always up. The recent power surge suggests he has been elevating more, and the forecast helps too, with temperatures reaching 83 degrees, fourth warmest on today's slate, which historically adds carry.

I expect Caglianone’s elite exit velocity to dominate against a pitcher who cannot keep fly balls in the park.

🌲 The Pine Line

🏆️ It was a rough start on Sunday for Scottie. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the final leaderboard.

🐐 Another ‘Goat’ has effectively announced his retirement. This will likely be the final year for the 41-year-old.

👋 Say “Goodbye” to one of F1’s most electric atmospheres. This will be the final race at Zandvoort.

🏀 Luka made it very clear to the Lakers that he doesn’t want to wait. The next headliner in LA could be a big one.

🏈 Fantasy Football Rookies Worth Monitoring

The 2026 rookie class is unusually deep at the skill positions, and what makes it draftable is that several guys will inherit volume rather than compete for it.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona. The No. 3 overall pick projects for 1,129 rushing yards, which instantly puts him in the RB1 tier. Arizona added Tyler Allgeier in the offseason and he’ll be Love’s main competition. Love’s 93.1 PFF offense grade in college dwarfs Allgeier's 71.5, James Conner's 63.7, and Trey Benson's 62.3, and nobody hands out $53 million fully guaranteed for a rotational back.

His best ball ADP of RB13 in the third round is far cheaper than Ashton Jeanty's rookie price of RB5 in the first, despite a 93.7 rushing grade and 72.6 receiving grade that sit just behind Jeanty's marks. He is the only rookie projected as a weekly RB1, and any ADP slip is a buying signal.

Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee. Tate averaged 14.62 air yards per target at Ohio State and lands with Cam Ward, a quarterback the scouting community believes will let it rip downfield. Tate has the size, speed, and ball tracking to finish those throws, and he wins contested catches, which matters against NFL corners that don’t give you any space.

Calvin Ridley, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Gunnar Helm will all command targets, so the week to week consistency may take time. He grades as the highest floor rookie receiver in the class and can win you a week with one deep connection.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle. Taken 32nd overall, and the Seahawks are running him with the first, second, and third team offenses while working him heavily into passing drills. That is a loud usage signal for a rookie. He caught 15 of 18 targets for 162 yards and three touchdowns on a 9.0% target rate last season. Seattle ranked third in rushing attempts a year ago but lost Kenneth Walker to free agency and Zach Charbonnet is on the PUP list. Price projects as a run first committee leader with RB2 value, and the receiving work is what could push him higher.

Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia. A.J. Brown is gone and his team leading 121 targets go back into circulation. Lemon’s USC production was absurd: 79 catches, 1,156 yards, 11 touchdowns, four games over 150 yards, and a Big Ten leading 502 yards after catch. He is a slot weapon rather than a perimeter body, which fits PPR formats well. The hamstring is worth watching, though he says he will be fully healthy.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans. The highest ceiling among rookie receivers and the lowest floor. Health is the only real question, since he missed significant time in college and Chris Olave has never made it through a season intact. The depth chart behind Olave is wide open and the Saints need someone to absorb targets. Classic boom or bust, but late round ceiling is exactly what you should be drafting.

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