Four years after considering retirement, Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St. Louis Cardinals in his debut. “Eleven years to get to here,” Torres said, fighting back tears after helping the Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

Brycen Mautz was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego. Since then, the 6-foot-3 southpaw has steadily worked his way through the minor league system while building a reputation for deception, swing-and-miss stuff and difficult angles against hitters.