Five famous MLB brother duos in 2022 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Whether it’s on the field or in the bleachers, baseball is a family game.
Oftentimes the sport provides shared moments between a father and son or siblings. That was on full display in August when Ken Griffey Jr. had a catch with his dad at the Field of Dreams Game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
While baseball offers families a chance for bonding, it is also a spot for competition.
Not everyone has a chance to play with a fellow family member like the Griffeys did. In 2022, there were brothers across the majors who had to face each other, even in the playoffs.
Ahead of a notable brotherly matchup in the 2022 MLB postseason, here are five of the best brothers in baseball right now:
Aaron Nola and Austin Nola
One Nola will head to the 2022 World Series, while the other will be heading home.
Aaron will pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the NLCS against Austin’s San Diego Padres. Austin is 1-for-5 in his career against his younger brother with one RBI and three strikeouts.
Perhaps one day the Nolas can form a brotherly battery. For now, though, Aaron will try to shut down Austin and put the Phillies two wins away from the Fall Classic.
Phil Maton and Nick Maton
Before the Phillies got to the postseason, they had another brotherly matchup – and it got a bit out of hand.
Phil Maton made a relief appearance for the Houston Astros in the regular season finale against his younger brother, Nick, and the Phillies. Phil entered with a 3-2 lead in the eighth and quickly gave up a pair of runs, including one from Nick, before being pulled.
While Phil’s team ultimately won the game, he was a big loser in the matchup. He later revealed that he broke a bone in his pitching hand when he punched a locker following his outing. The injury meant he would miss the playoffs and a potential World Series showdown with Nick.
Willson Contreras and William Contreras
The Contreras brothers got to play side-by-side on one of baseball’s biggest stages this summer.
Willson, a catcher for the Cubs, and William, a catcher for the Atlanta Braves, were both named NL All-Stars and got to start in the Midsummer Classic. It was an accomplishment that they had been dreaming about since they were kids in Venezuela.
“I think we’re blessed,” Wilson said after joining his younger brother on the NL All-Star team. “We’re blessed as a family.”
Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
The Gurriels are another pair of international brothers in MLB. Yuli is a first baseman for the Astros, while Lourdes plays outfield for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The elder Yuli has accomplished a bit more in his MLB career with a World Series ring and Gold Glove Award. He also got to make history with his younger brother on Sept. 21, 2018, by having multi-homer games on the same night.
Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers
The Rogers brothers both came out of the bullpen.
Taylor spent the first six years of his career with the Minnesota Twins before spending 2022 with the Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. The short stint in San Diego made him a division rival with Tyler, who has been with the San Francisco Giants since entering the majors in 2019.
Like the Gurriels, the Rogers brothers are in the MLB history books. Taylor and Tyler became the fifth set of twins to play in the same MLB game when they made relief appearances in a Padres win over the Giants in April.
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