Bryan Torres made a statement in his long-awaited MLB debut

Torres entered the minor leagues in 2015 and racked up 510 games played while also spending time in independent leagues in Puerto Rico and Mexico.

For 11 years, Torres toiled and fought for a spot in the majors. By 2022, he had grown frustrated with his situation and had begun losing hope.

“I’m not going to lie, at one moment, I thought I’d retire,” he said. “In that moment, I decided I wanted to give myself a chance, and if I did, give it 100%.”

He finally succeeded on Saturday, but his debut was far from normal. Torres got on base with a walk in the second inning and hit a single in the fourth. He wasn’t finished yet as he capped off his emotional debut with a 377′ two-run home run in the ninth inning.

“Eleven years to get to here,” Torres said tearfully after the 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. “I’m not a homer guy. Today, my debut, it just happened. I’ve been learning to manage the pressure. When the heart is going too fast, you have to slow things down. I felt a little pounding in my chest today.”

After signing a deal with the Cardinals in 2023, Torres had a .331 batting average at the Double-A level before being promoted to Triple-A last season.

This season, he hit .336 in 36 Triple-A games before being officially called up on Friday. His parents and members of his family travelled from Puerto Rico and were in attendance for his magical debut on Saturday.

“It’s been a very long and tough road, and not the usual road,” Torres said. “Everything happens for a reason. My family is very happy. We’re living the dream, basically.”