Making it from the minors to the majors in the MLB is arguably the hardest thing to do in professional sports. For minor league prospects, getting the call to the “Show” depends on where they begin their journey and how they were signed. If you were drafted in the first round, the success rate was significantly higher in reaching the majors compared to players drafted in later rounds or going undrafted. College drafties have the edge over high school drafties, as college players are more physically and mentally developed, and they start out at more advanced Single-A or Double-A levels. With international signings, thousands of players enter the minor leagues each year through international free agency, making this pool highly competitive, with a very small fraction ultimately cracking a 40-man roster.
Most minor league players never get the call to the “show,” spending years in the minors hoping to get it, but never do. With MLB active rosters consisting of only 26 players per team and the minor leagues having approximately 6,000 players, the odds are stacked against players. At around 10% of all minor league baseball players eventually make it to the Major Leagues, even if it’s just for a single game.
Bryan Torres spent 11 years in the minor leagues before finally making his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 1 of the Cardinals’ doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, he started in left field and went 2-for-4 at the plate, launching a two-run home run in the ninth inning while adding a walk and scoring once. In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Torres once again started in left field, going 1-for-4 with a walk and one strikeout. It capped off a remarkable journey, as Torres’ path to the majors serves as a testament to what patience, hard work, determination, and having the right people supporting you can accomplish.
Bryan Torres’ Minor League Journey to the Majors
It all started in 2015, when he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers organization as an undrafted free agent. He spent five seasons in the Brewers organization, playing for the Brewers’ Dominican Summer League and Rookie-level minor league affiliates until he was eventually claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants in December 2019. After the 2021 season, he became a free agent and wound up spending two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.
Torres made a name for himself in his two years with Milwaukee. In 2022, he had a slashline of .374/.435/.489, winning the American Association batting title by 28 points, and was named the league’s All-Star utility man. In 2023, he had a slash line of .370/.464/.540, winning the batting title for a second consecutive season, and set the all-time American Association single-season record with 71 stolen bases. He made himself known for being an extremely disciplined hitter and an on-base machine, which caught the eyes of the Cardinals.
The Cardinals signed Torres to a minor league contract on September 21, 2023, right at the end of his record-breaking independent league season. Right away, he was assigned to the Cardinals’ Double-A team, the Springfield Cardinals, where his independent-league production carried over. In his 2024 season with Double-A Springfield, he played in 120 games and won the Texas League batting title (.331) and hits (148), while recording 33 stolen bases and a 23-game on-base streak.
On March 24th, 2025, he was promoted to the Cardinals’ Triple-A team, the Memphis Redbirds, where he established himself as an elite, versatile utility player, logging starts at second base, third base, and all three outfield spots. He hit a .328//.441/.464 slash line with 9 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 105 games. He led all of Minor League Baseball with a .441 on-base percentage. This prompted the Cardinals to add him to the 40-man roster in November of 2025 to shield him from minor league free agency.
To start the year, Torres began the year in Major League Spring training with the Cardinals, appearing in several Grapefruit League games, before temporarily leaving Cardinals camp to play for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. While playing in the World Baseball Classic, Torres served as a highly efficient bench piece and utility option. Appearing in four games and excelling as an on-base specialist, he went 2-for-6 at the plate, while drawing three walks. Team Puerto Rico advanced to the Quarterfinals, losing to team Italy in an 8-6 Thriller, but the exposure that Torres’ had playing in the World Baseball Classic was vital in showcasing his skills on an international stage.
Playing against top-tier international pitching, his .441 minor-league on-base percentage was no joke as he reached base on 6 of his 10 tournament appearances, cementing himself as a trusted, high-IQ bat in the eyes of the St. Louis front office. Playing in an intense atmosphere like the WBC benefited Torres as he maximized his visibility and accelerated his competitive readiness. Returning to Triple-A, he immediately locked in, batting an absurd .336 with a .454 OBP, and recording 10 stolen bases in over 36 games.
Torres made a name for himself throughout the Cardinals organization and across baseball because of his versatility as a defender and disciplined approach at the plate. It seemed like only a matter of time before he would finally receive the call to “The Show”. So far this season, the Cardinals’ outfield has been hit hard by injuries, with Lars Nootbar’s heel surgery, and most recently, Nathan Church being placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. With openings beginning to appear on the roster, Torres’ opportunity finally arrived, as all of his hard work across 913 games in the minors, foreign leagues, independent baseball, and an appearance in the WBC ultimately paid off.
In a sport where making it to the Major Leagues is one of the hardest accomplishments in baseball, Torres proved that hard work, patience, and perseverance can eventually pay off. Torres could become a hidden gem for the Cardinals, as his versatility and elite discipline at the plate could provide tremendous value to the team moving forward. Those qualities are exactly what organizations look for in players. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals handle their outfield situation once everyone returns to full health, but Torres now has an opportunity to prove that he belongs. Regardless of what happens next, Torres has already achieved something many players spend their entire careers chasing — reaching the Major Leagues. In a sport where many players never get the chance to reach the highest level, Torres never stopped believing, turning years of sacrifice into a moment he will never forget.
