CINCINNATI -- There was a moment, seven years into his pro career, when Bryan Torres was contemplating whether it was time to call it quits.
The Puerto Rico native had toiled for five seasons in Rookie ball in the Brewers' organization, and after a year in limbo during the coronavirus pandemic, he posted just a .668 OPS in his lone season with the Giants' Double-A affiliate.
But after a two-year stint in Independent ball and three more seasons in the Minors, the 28-year-old's dream came true as he made his big league debut with the Cardinals. And he made it count as he homered and reached base three times in the Cardinals' 8-1 win over the Reds in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader at Great American Ball Park.
Torres' road to the Majors has been long and tough. But he credits his family and that time away from affiliated ball for turning around his career.
"In that moment, I said I'm gonna give myself a chance," Torres said. "But I'm gonna do that 100%, like everything I can. And I just don't give my 100, I gave my 200%, and that's the reason why I'm here. And from that moment on, I can say yes, I was really sure that big things were going to happen in my life, in my career.
"At some point, my brother, when I was going to my second year in Indy ball, he said, 'Hey, don't try to do the same as last year.' And I told him, 'I'm gonna do not the same. I'm gonna do better.' Those were my words. I will never forget that.'"
During his time with the Milwaukee Milkmen in the American Association, Torres established himself as an extremely disciplined hitter and an on-base machine. He slashed .372/.450/.514 with more walks (104) than strikeouts (100) in 184 games, which caught the Cardinals' eye.
After Torres signed with St. Louis, his production carried over to Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis the past three years, where he has slashed a combined .331/.432/.442 with more walks (168) than strikeouts (157). He has really stood out for his patience, as his 37.6% swing rate at Memphis the past two seasons ranks in the fifth percentile, while his 57.7% in-zone swing rate is in the sixth percentile.