Cardinals’ Bryan Torres homers in first game after improbable 11-year journey

Nypost · May 23, 2026 · 733 words · By Associated Press

Sports Achievement Underdog success story

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CINCINNATI — Four years after considering retirement, Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

CINCINNATI — Four years after considering retirement, Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St.

Why it matters

“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.

Common ground

When the heart is going too fast, you have to slow things down.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Sports Achievement story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became a free agent after the 2021 season and spent two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association?
How does this story connect Sports Achievement with Underdog success story over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/23/sports/cardinals-bryan-torres-homers-in-first-game…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Appeal to Pity 60% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became a free agent after the 2021 season and spent two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources confirm the timeline: signed with Milwaukee in 2015, claimed by San Francisco in December 2019, became a free agent after 2021, and played for the Milwaukee Milkmen.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 4 hours ago ... Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by San Francisco in December 2019, became a free agent ...
https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/48855702/cardinals-tor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2 hours ago ... Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2026/05/23/bryan-t…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 3 hours ago ... Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed ... two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the ...
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/b06df-bryan-torres-homers-in-ma…

help

Claim 2: “Torres was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday after hitting .336 with 10 doubles, two homers, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 36 games.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

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Claim 3: “Torres became the third Cardinals player since 1900 with multiple hits that included a home run in his debut, the first since Bobby Smith at Cincinnati on April 16, 1957.”

CORROBORATED

ESPN and other web results explicitly confirm that Torres is the third Cardinals player since 1900 with multiple hits including a home run in his debut, and the first since Bobby Smith on April 16, 1957.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 St. Louis Cardinals season is the 145th season for the St. Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball franchise in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the 135th season for the Cardinals in the National …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_St._Louis_Cardinals_seaso…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bryan Torres (born July 2, 1997) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder and second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Torres

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The St. Louis Cardinals, based in St. Louis, Missouri, are a professional baseball franchise that compete in the National League of Major League Baseball (MLB). The club employs coaches who support –…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_St._Louis_Cardinals_co…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 4: “He became the oldest position player to debut for the Cardinals since catcher Alberto Rosario at age 29 in 2016.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 5: “He signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals in September 2023, hit .331 with 28 doubles, two homers, 56 RBIs and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Springfield, then was promoted to Triple-A Memphis and batted .328 with 16 doubles, nine homers 51 RBIs in 2025.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this specific claim consists of irrelevant search results about a city in Texas and a chef; no evidence regarding his 2023-2025 stats was found in the provided text.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bryan is a city in and the county seat of Brazos County, [6] Texas, United States. It is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley (East and Central Texas). As of the 2020 census, the city had a popul…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan,_Texas

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Chef Darian Bryan has done it! He climbed to the top of Season 5 of Fox’s Next Level Chef, and has now walked away with the $250,000 grand prize, as well as a mentoring stint with celebri…
https://www.buffalorising.com/2026/05/fired-up-chef-darian-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bryan graduates are prepared with the knowledge and practical, productive skills that lead directly to high demand professional careers.
https://bryanuniversity.edu/

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Claim 6: “Torres, who first played minor league ball in 2015, hit seventh and played left field.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources (ESPN and another news report) explicitly state that Torres first played minor league ball in 2015, hit seventh, and played left field.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Internacional Formando Atletas is a Salvadoran professional football club based in Santa Tecla, El Salvador. The club will debut in the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador series since the Aper…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_FA

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 7: “His first call was to his mother, Lissette Crespo.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

schedule

Claim 8: “Torres took the roster spot of outfielder Nathan Church, placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 9: “he worked a full-count walk from Chris Paddack (0-6) in the second, singled on a cutter in the fourth, grounded out in the sixth, flied out in the seventh and homered on a 95.2 mph fastball from Jose Franco in the ninth”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence mentions the home run and the debut, but does not provide the specific play-by-play details (walk from Paddack, single on a cutter, etc.) to verify this claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Detroit Tigers season was the team's 125th season and its 26th at Comerica Park. This was the Tigers' fifth season under manager A. J. Hinch. The Tigers improved their 86–76 record from the p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Detroit_Tigers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tommy John surgery (TJS), known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, is a surgical graft procedure in which the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is repla…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_players_who_u…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list is complete and up-to-date as of May 7, 2026. The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared in at least one game for the San Diego Padres franchise. Players in Bol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Padres_all-time_rost…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 10: “Left-hander Nick Raquet debuted last season for St. Louis, also at 29.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 11: “the Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the general context of the game is implied by other claims, no provided evidence specifically confirms the 8-1 score against the Cincinnati Reds in a Saturday doubleheader.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — From 1960 to 1987, the professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals played in St. Louis, Missouri, as the St. Louis Cardinals. The team moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 196…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Cardinals_(NFL)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Orville DeWitt Jr. (born August 31, 1941) is an American businessman who is currently the principal owner, managing partner and chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball fra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_DeWitt_Jr.

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “He was added to the 40-man roster last November and played for Puerto Rico in this year’s World Baseball Classic, going 2 for 6 with a double, three walks and three runs.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources confirm he was added to the 40-man roster in November and played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, going 2 for 6.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 3 hours ago ... He was added to the 40-man roster last November and played for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic, going 2 for 6 with a ...
https://www.recordpatriot.com/sports/article/cardinals-bryan…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 9 hours ago ... The Cardinals added Torres to their 40-man roster in November to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency — a small bet on a player ...
https://worldbaseball.com/from-indy-ball-to-the-show-puerto-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Latest Transactions ; March 23, 2026, OF Bryan Torres assigned to Springfield Cardinals from Memphis Redbirds. ; March 7, 2026, St. Louis Cardinals optioned OF ...
https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/player/bryan-torres-663494

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Claim 13: “Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St. Louis Cardinals in his debut.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (ESPN and others) confirm Bryan Torres homered in his debut at age 28. Wikipedia also confirms he is a Cardinals player who debuted in 2026.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (Spanish: [aˈɾoldis ˈtʃaβman]; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aroldis_Chapman

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jose Ramón Trevino (born November 28, 1992) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Trevino_(baseball)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.