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 last summer 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.
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Not everyone has a chance to play with a fellow family member as the Griffeys did. In 2022, there were brothers across the majors who had to face one another – even in the playoffs – and bragging rights are up for grabs this season with sibling showdowns.
Here are five of the best sets of brothers in baseball right now:
Aaron Nola and Austin Nola
One Nola reached the 2022 World Series, while the other was sent packing.
MLB
Aaron and the Philadelphia Phillies ousted Austin and the San Diego Padres in last year’s NLCS. Austin hit an RBI single against his younger brother in Game 2, the only contest the Padres won in the series before the Phillies claimed the NL pennant.
Perhaps one day the Nolas can form a brotherly battery. For now, though, they will get their first chance against one another in 2023 right after the All-Star break during a four-game set in Philadelphia.
Phil Maton and Nick Maton
Before the Phillies made their run to the World Series last year, 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 kept him out of the playoffs and an eventual World Series clash against Nick.
Now with the Tigers, Nick will get his next opportunity to potentially face Phil when the Astros visit Detroit in late August.
Willson Contreras and William Contreras
The Contreras brothers got to play side-by-side on one of baseball’s biggest stages last 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 2022 Midsummer Classic. It was an accomplishment that they had been dreaming about since they were kids in Venezuela.
“I think we're blessed,” Willson said after joining his younger brother on the NL All-Star team. “We’re blessed as a family.”
Both brothers changed teams in 2023, and they are now NL Central rivals with Willson on the St. Louis Cardinals and William on the Milwaukee Brewers.
Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Hailing from Cuba, the Gurriels are another pair of international brothers in MLB. Yuli is a first baseman for the Miami Marlins, while Lourdes plays outfield for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The elder Yuli has accomplished a bit more in his MLB career with two World Series rings, a Gold Glove Award and a batting title during his time with the Astros. 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 twins both come out of the bullpen in San Francisco.
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. The two became teammates when Taylor signed with the Giants in December.
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 early last season.
