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Then, he can move on and really get his career started. Circumstances of the debut seemingly matter less than moving on from that point. At least that鈥檚 the view from the outside.

Days like Saturday at Busch Stadium provide a reminder that it all matters to the player who worked toward that moment for years, through ups, downs, doubts, success and failures.

The circumstances mattered for , who thought his debut would鈥檝e come months ago in a New York Yankees uniform. In a funny twist, reliever Brycen Mautz, who debuted earlier this season and made his second appearance Saturday, shed some light on how his debut lingered in his mind and affected his latest performance in the majors.

In Winquest鈥檚 case, the delay in his debut and subsequent return to the Cardinals bolstered his confidence and likely bolstered his performance. Meanwhile, Mautz had three months to think about what he didn鈥檛 do in his debut 鈥� three months from late May to late August to wait for another chance.

Following his debut Saturday, when I asked about potential benefits he took from waiting to make his debut, Winquest offered an interesting and reflective response.

鈥淚 think it was just knowing that I鈥檓 with the Cardinals, with the team,鈥� Winquest said. 鈥淚 got called up last week, so I kind of felt like it鈥檚 real now. Coming out of the spring, I kind of had a rough feeling, had a rough spring. I kind of felt like maybe I wasn鈥檛 ready yet. Maybe I didn鈥檛 deserve it.

鈥淏ut I think this time around it鈥檚 like, 鈥極K, I鈥檝e been doing well in Memphis. The time is coming.鈥� So there was kind of a little bit more confidence going into this series and, obviously, today.鈥�

Winquest, 26, joined the Cardinals organization as an eighth-round draft pick in 2022. The right-hander spent his entire career in their farm system heading into this offseason, and he topped out at the Double-A level to that point.

Then the Yankees selected him in December鈥檚 Rule 5 draft. That meant he went on the Yankees major league roster, went to big league camp and the Yankees needed to keep him in the big leagues all season to retain him. Otherwise, they鈥檇 have to offer him back to the Cardinals.

The Yankees kept Winquest through the first two weeks of the season but never used him in a game. Then he went back to the Cardinals and to Triple-A without ever making his debut.

If he had debuted with the Yankees, it would have been with that little voice in the back of his head questioning whether he really earned it. Did the fact that he was a Rule 5 pick force the Yankees to give him a chance in the big leagues? Perhaps he would鈥檝e taken the mound feeling tentative or timid and struggled.

Winquest alluded to his rough spring, when he made nine appearances, allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and four walks in 10 innings. Grapefruit League hitters batted .325 against him.

With the benefit of hindsight, Winquest stood in front of his locker at Busch Stadium and said he benefited from facing major league hitters throughout spring training and being surrounded by elite players. His time with the Yankees also added a sinker to his pitch arsenal, and he adjusted grips on his cutter and fastball.

鈥淚 think I came out a better pitcher than I was going in,鈥� Winquest said. 鈥淓ven just coming back to the Cardinals, I just had more confidence and just believed in myself a little bit more. Like, I can hang with these guys. I鈥檝e got the stuff. I made the team for a reason. They picked me for a reason. So it just felt good to finally come back and really put it to work.鈥�

Winquest had six or seven family members and friends in attendance, many who traveled to multiple states and waited for his debut with two different teams. He tossed two scoreless innings, didn鈥檛 allow a hit, walked one and struck out two in his long-awaited first outing in the big leagues.

鈥淚 think it hasn鈥檛 hit yet 鈥� I鈥檓 sure it will probably hit later 鈥� but it meant everything,鈥� Winquest said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been to three or four different states now, so to finally make it happen definitely feels good.鈥�

Meanwhile, Mautz got his first promotion in May. He鈥檇 originally been slated to start against the Cincinnati Reds, but rain postponed that game. Mautz pitched a day later in relief against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The left-hander allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in three innings on May 25. Mautz had been one of mainstays in the Triple-A rotation to that point, but he moved to the bullpen shortly after his return to the minors.

Saturday, Mautz pitched in relief of Kyle Leahy as the Cardinals taper Leahy鈥檚 workload for the year. Mautz鈥檚 line wasn鈥檛 outstanding. He allowed four runs on five hits and one walk in three innings, though he struck out eight batters in those three innings (61 pitches). He got Pittsburgh Pirates batters to swing and miss 11 times on 27 total swings.

While he has work to do, that swing-and-miss stuff certainly adds a measure of intrigue that he didn鈥檛 show in his first appearance.

鈥淟earned from the debut,鈥� Mautz said. 鈥淚 came out firing, trying to do too much right off the bat. Thinking I had to prove something by trying extra hard, so I was going to be more myself this time. I wanted to challenge guys off the bat and be a little looser.鈥�

For his career in the minors, Mautz has posted a strikeout rate of 9.85 strikeouts per nine innings. Mautz said he鈥檇 had a few 鈥渁lmost鈥� call-ups between his debut and this weekend.

鈥淪o I was definitely looking forward to this one and getting a chance to try and earn the trust of the staff again,鈥� Mautz said.

So yeah, the circumstances of the debut matter. They don鈥檛 completely change a guy鈥檚 career, but they have an impact.