Boston-born Joshua Baez was three weeks old when his family relocated to the Dominican Republic. At age 11, he returned to Massachusetts, settling in Dorchester with his mother and siblings and entering middle school at the Mildred Avenue K-8 in Mattapan as a non-English speaker who didn’t know any of his new classmates.
But what he did know was his way around a baseball field’s batter’s box; he had been using a bat and glove since age 9 at his Caribbean island home.
Now 22, the heavily scouted outfielder and slugger has been placed on the St. Louis Cardinals’ 40-man roster, an achievement that puts him within striking distance of his ultimate dream: playing in the “Big League.” In an interview last week, he conceded that “I surprised myself, surprised a couple of people, and got the blessing to get put on the 40-man roster in November.”
St. Louis drafted the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Baez in 2021 right out of high school at Dexter-Southfield in Brookline. Selected in the second round as 54th pick, he signed with the team for $2.25 million. Soon after graduation, he headed south for his professional debut with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Cardinals. He has been in the St. Louis farm system ever since.
While getting drafted was “a dream come true,” Baez said that “everything happened so fast. You’re given this opportunity, and you enter a grown man’s world.”
He began the 2022 season with an extended stretch of spring training before he was assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Single-A Florida State League, where he faced some growing pains and time on the injured list. Two wrist surgeries and two seasons later, Baez had a break-out season this year, earning his way into the upper Minors for the first time with Double A Springfield (Missouri) in late May.
According to MLB.com, Baez is currently ranked No. 12 among prospects in the Cardinals’ system – up from No. 30 last season.
The same scouting report notes that “he looks bigger than 6-foot-3 in the batter’s box and that “he has pop in his bat.” It also credits him with moving in 2025 to use his power to hit to “the whole field” instead of trying to pull the ball every time while suggesting he needs to build on his improvements going forward.
“I went into the off-season before 2025 and really tried to put it all behind me. Go back to my roots, believe in myself, have faith, and I prepared myself really hard,” said Baez, who opened the season with Peoria en route to Springfield about two months later. “I went into 2025, and I did everything I was supposed to do,” he said with pride.
His longtime Boston-based batting coach, Johnny Hernandez, wasn’t surprised by the news that he had reached a roster spot in the majors.
“I’ve been coaching Josh since he was around 13 years old. I had an idea because of his work ethic,” said Hernandez, “I knew he was going to make it, and I know he’s going to go further than that. This year, you and I are going to see him play on TV.”
Baez’s baseball beginnings in the Dominican Republic did make a bit of a late start by Dominican— and Dorchester— standards.
“I was just a regular child going to school and then going home and watching TV, so my mom brought me to the baseball field,” recalls Josh. “That first day, I was really nervous,” he said. “There were like 60 Dominican kids, filled with passion, who enjoyed playing baseball, and I had just been at home. The first day was really hard, not knowing how to throw, grab a bat, or grab a glove. After a couple of days, I was there all afternoon, and I would do extra work at night to get some extra reps and learn to throw and catch.”
When his family returned to Boston, they settled by Franklin Field. “It was really hard to adapt,” said Baez about his introduction to the Mildred Avenue K-8 experience. “I got bullied, didn’t make any friends, and barely passed my classes. It was a tough time.”
But when spring rolled around, baseball was back, and he joined the South End Little League.
“The regular season started in May, and I played with the Marlins, and then I joined the South End state team called the Astros. My second year there, we won the Bay State Championship, and that’s when I won the home run derby,” he said.
It was at Peters Park on Shawmut Avenue where Baez realized that in the United States, he “kind of stood out,” but this time in a good way. He said “the fields were smaller, the bats were better, and the competition wasn’t as hard as in the DR.”
He also saw baseball as a fun way to connect with other kids, something he struggled with inside the school.
“I had to take the English second course for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. In 8th grade was when I was able to join the regular classes; it was a process.”
He started his high school years at Cristo Rey Boston High School in Savin Hill and then moved as a sophomore to Newbury Street at Snowden International School. Regardless of what school he represented, Baez now stood out as a solid two-way player.
“I played the outfield, and then I would come into [pitch in] close games. I got up to 99 mph on the bump pitching and I had Baseball America going to my games at Jefferson Park right behind the Hennigan,” Baez said with a laugh.
“I was going through high school trying to work hard and earn a scholarship,” he recalled, and “I didn’t really know much about the college process. Then going into my junior year was kind of when everything all came together.
“It was a lot,” he acknowledged. “At first, I didn’t really understand it. I just knew I wanted to not have my parents pay for anything because they couldn’t. I come from a very humble family, and I was just really trying to find some good education and some really good competition.”
After moving again to finish high school at Dexter Southfield in 2020 and being named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year, Baez committed to play DI baseball at Vanderbilt University, a plan that changed dramatically when the Cardinals drafted him and made their offer.
Coach Hernandez contends that what Baez does behind the scenes is what makes him successful.
“He is a very hard-working kid. he never wants [practice] to end, he always wants to continue practicing. He’s not just a baseball player, he’s a very good son to his mom. I’ve known his family for a long time. He’s a very, very good kid and player. He’s always helping the younger kids, passing down what he’s learned. That’s what makes him special.”
As to Baez’s advice for the upcoming generation of city athletes: “If you have a dream, if you have a goal, set a plan, have a plan, have an approach. Surround yourself with good people and listen to your parents. Focus on the little things and know they go a long way, and when you look back, you will probably have accomplished a lot.”
Come February, Baez will be in his first Big League Camp, where, he said, he plans to “be a sponge” and learn as much as he can. He describes himself as a player “who can help the team win in many ways. That could be with a bat, make a play in the outfield, throw somebody out, be able to steal a base – maybe two – be able to bring energy into the dugout, and really just have a positive attitude and be somebody who works hard.”
While trekking from Florida to Missouri and every point in between, Baez will always come back to Dorchester. “That’s where I grew up. My sister, my niece, my brother, my aunts, they are all from there. I always come back to be around them and to hit with my hitting coaches here.”
He’ll also make mandatory visits to El Dugout Restaurant on Seaver Street and Nick’s Pizza and Seafood on Blue Hill Ave.
He joked, “I enjoy being here. It’s just really cold.” But starting in February, things will begin heating up for this young man from Dorchester who knows that if you have a dream, you have to set up a plan to make it real.
