Welcome back to another episode of Run It Back! I’ve got something really fun planned for today—we are going to talk about a few of the many sets of brothers that have shared a baseball field as teammates at the MLB level.
With the calendar turning to March, we are inching closer to Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season. The start of a new season typically sparks lots of excitement and discussion about players that have joined new teams during the winter, and sometimes, those transactions may lead to players joining their brothers on the baseball diamond.
In celebration of one of the sport’s more fascinating occurrences, I thought it would be interesting to discuss a few sets of brothers that have found themselves in the same clubhouse over the years. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of every set of brothers that have been teammates from throughout MLB history, but rather a short list of a few pairs of siblings that stood out to me. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Hank and Tommie Aaron (1962-1963, 1965, 1968-1971)
Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players ever, breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 (a mark that stood for 33 years until Barry Bonds surpassed Aaron in 2007). Near the latter portion of his career, Hank played alongside his younger brother Tommie on the Milwaukee (later Atlanta) Braves.
Two of eight children, Hank and Tommie grew up in Toulminville, Ala., where Hank quickly developed a fascination with the game of baseball. “He was always crazy about playing baseball, but I’d never thought about him becoming a player until the Brooklyn Dodgers came to Mobile for an exhibition game when Henry was about 11,” recalled their father Herbert (via the Toledo Blade). “I took him to see the game and he told me that night at the ball park, ‘I’m going to be in the big leagues myself before Jackie Robinson is through playing.’”
Hank’s prediction would ring true, as he debuted for the Braves in 1954, two years before Robinson’s final season in 1956. From 1954-1961, Hank was one of the best players in the majors, regularly finishing in the top 10 in NL MVP voting and leading the way in nearly every offensive statistic. In 1957, Hank achieved new career highs in runs scored (118), home runs (44), and runs batted in (132), winning NL MVP honors as Milwaukee went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Five years later, Tommie debuted for the Braves after four years in the team’s minor league system, hitting a career-high eight home runs in his rookie campaign. Throughout his career, Tommie was repeatedly called up and sent down, spending three full seasons at the AAA level between 1964 and 1967. Following the Braves’ relocation to Atlanta, however, Tommie got a bit more steady playing time in the big leagues.
In 1969, Atlanta won the NL West division title, advancing to the first-ever NL Championship Series (NLCS); the Aarons served as the first-ever brothers to play on the same team in a LCS. Tommie’s lone appearance of the series came during Game 2, where he pinch hit for pitcher Milt Pappas in the fifth inning. This would be his only taste of the postseason, as the Braves did not make it back again until 1982.
After splitting 1971 between AAA and the majors, Tommie did not make it back again, retiring in 1973 at the age of 34. Shortly thereafter, Hank requested a trade to Milwaukee’s new club, the Brewers, where he played for two seasons before retiring in 1976.
Hank later rejoined Atlanta in the front office, serving in various capacities there following his retirement as a player. Tommie would serve as a coach for the Braves at various levels throughout the remainder of the 1970s and into the ‘80s before dying from leukemia in 1984.
Together, Hank (755) and Tommie (13) hold the MLB record for most home runs by a set of brothers (768).
Dick and Hank Allen (1972-1973)
This year, Dick Allen was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame via the Classic Baseball Era Committee. For two of his 15 seasons in MLB, Dick was teammates with his older brother Hank on the Chicago White Sox.
Hailing from the Pittsburgh suburb of Wampum, Pa., Dick and Hank played high school baseball alongside their younger brother Ron. In 1960, Hank signed his first professional contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, spending five seasons in the team’s farm system before being dealt to the Washington Senators organization.
Around this time, Dick had made a name for himself with the Phillies, earning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1964. Dick would play in Philadelphia through 1969, demanding a trade out of the city after facing harassment and racism from fans, among other off-field issues, for several years. Following two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dick was traded to the White Sox during the 1971-72 off-season.
Despite Dick’s troubles off the field, he was successful on it, garnering four All-Star selections and two top-10 finishes in NL MVP voting in addition to being named as the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year. The same could not be said for Hank, who could not find regular playing time in the big leagues.
Between 1966 and 1969, Hank only had two seasons in which he played at least 100 games before being traded to Milwaukee partway through 1970; Milwaukee traded him to Atlanta in the off-season, who then released Hank in the spring of 1971. In 1972, Hank signed on with Chicago as a free agent, joining his brother in the midst of his MVP campaign.
That year, Dick was named AL MVP, tallying a league-leading 37 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a 1.023 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Dick’s performance has been hailed by South Siders as revitalizing the White Sox, as the club fought off rumors of relocation.
After one more season as teammates in Chicago, both brothers left the team in the 1973-74 off-season—Dick was contemplating retirement, while Hank did not play at the MLB level again. Dick eventually retired in 1977, having last played for the Oakland Athletics.
Dave and Dennis Bennett (1964)
As it turns out, the 1964 Phillies had not just one player who teamed up with his brother at one point, but three.
Starting pitcher Dennis Bennett debuted for Philadelphia in 1962 after spending four seasons in the team’s minor league system. Two years later, his younger brother Dave would join him in the big leagues, pitching out of the bullpen in one of Dennis’s starts.
Dennis made his 13th start of 1964 on Jun. 12, lasting just 2 ⅓ innings after giving up five runs in a matchup versus the New York Mets. Dave entered the game in the ninth, making his big-league debut at just 18 years old. Despite only allowing one run, Dave would not pitch in the majors again for the rest of that season, or ever again for that matter.
Unfortunately, Dave did not make it back to the MLB level, spending the next five seasons in the Phillies’ farm system. In the 1969-70 off-season, Dave was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, spending five seasons in their system before ultimately retiring from baseball in 1974.
Dennis would spend four more seasons in MLB, pitching for the Red Sox, Mets, and Angels before spending five years in the minor leagues. Though neither brother had a long career in baseball, they certainly made it longer than the average joe. Baseball is tough, it’s not easy to play professionally.
Bengie and José Molina (2001-2005)
If you have kept up with MLB even a little bit over the past two decades, you have probably at least heard of former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. What you might not know, however, is that Yadier’s two older brothers, Bengie and José, were once teammates on the Angels for several years.
As kids growing up in Puerto Rico, the Molina brothers quickly developed potential as baseball players. Bengie, the oldest, was called up to the MLB level in Sep. 1998, appearing in two games near the end of the season. By 2000, Bengie was Anaheim’s starting catcher, starting in 123 games for the Angels that season.
Around this time, José was getting his MLB career started, having appeared in 10 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1999. Following a season at the AAA level in 2000, José signed with Anaheim during the 2000-01 off-season, and would fill in for his older brother as the team’s catcher in 2001 when Bengie went down with an injury. “This was our dream as kids – to play baseball in the majors,” Bengie said (via the South Florida Sun Sentinel). “We never thought we’d be together on the same team.”
In 2002, Bengie and José served as the team’s top two catchers as the Angels went on to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia substituted Bengie with José mid-game three times during the series, making the Molinas the first set of brothers to appear for the same team in the same World Series game since 1962. The two would remain on the Angels’ roster through 2005, as Bengie signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency in the ensuing off-season.
José won another World Series title with the Yankees in 2009, and Bengie received a ring in 2010 after being traded from the eventual champion San Francisco Giants to the runner-up Texas Rangers that summer.
Bo and Josh Naylor (2022-2024)
Prior to being traded during this past off-season, Josh Naylor established himself as one of the Cleveland Guardians’ best players, teaming up with his younger brother Bo for three of them.
The Naylors began playing baseball in Mississauga, Ont., playing for St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School. Josh, a first baseman, was the first to start playing baseball professionally, debuting for the San Diego Padres in 2019 after four-plus seasons in the minor leagues. San Diego traded Josh to the then-named Cleveland Indians in 2020, where he would become one of the key components of the team’s lineup.
While Josh was developing in the major leagues, Bo, a catcher, was in Cleveland’s farm system, having been drafted by the club in 2018. In 2022, Bo made it to the MLB level, joining his older brother as a late-season call-up on the recently-renamed Guardians.
Over the next two seasons, the Naylor brothers would spend more time together in Cleveland as both Bo and Josh received more consistent playing time in the Guardians’ lineup. In 2024, the Naylors played in almost every game, with Bo catching 101 games for Cleveland and Josh earning his first All-Star selection. With the brothers’ help, the Guardians claimed the AL Central division title, losing to the Yankees in the ALCS in five games.
Bo and Josh’s time as teammates ended when Josh was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December, although they could end up as teammates again soon. In addition, they also have a 19-year-old brother named Myles, who is currently in the Athletics organization; with this in mind, maybe two or all three brothers will be teammates again soon.
Joe and Phil Niekro (1973-1974, 1985)
Knuckleball pitchers are a rare sight. Two knuckleballers are hard to come by. But two of them on the same team? AND they’re brothers? That’s unheard of.
Knuckleballs are slow pitches with wild movement, typically involving a pitcher gripping the baseball with their fingertips. These pitches are used by pitchers who have not found success as conventional pitchers, but due to scouts prioritizing velocity and accuracy in pitching, knuckleballers tend to be overlooked. Nevertheless, the knuckleball has allowed pitchers to significantly extend their careers, as the pitch does not require a lot of arm strength to be effective.
Joe and Phil Niekro were masters of the knuckleball, utilizing the pitch at the MLB level from the 1960s all the way into the ‘80s. Phil debuted with the Braves in 1964, teaming up with the aforementioned Aaron brothers for a few years. Joe made his MLB debut for the Cubs in 1967, splitting his first six seasons between the Cubs, Padres, and Tigers.
In 1973, the Braves claimed Joe off waivers, uniting him with his older brother. By this point, Phil had garnered some success as a knuckleballer, finishing as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award in 1969. It was in Atlanta that Joe rekindled his relationship with the knuckleball, switching from being a fastball-slider pitcher early in his career.
After two seasons with the Braves, Joe signed with the Houston Astros in 1975, where he would achieve the greatest success of his career. In 1979, the Niekro brothers finished tied for the NL lead in wins (21) as they finished in the top 10 for NL Cy Young voting.
Phil signed with the Yankees for 1984, and in 1985, the Astros traded Joe to New York, bringing the brothers together once again. The success with the knuckleball continued, as Phil would pitch into 1987, retiring at season’s end at the age of 48. Joe had a similarly long career, retiring in 1988 at 44 years old.
In 1997, the knuckleball was immortalized when Phil was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Though San Diego’s Matt Waldron is one of the only pitchers to use it in today’s game, the Niekro brothers helped to cement the knuckleball’s place in baseball lore.
Taylor and Tyler Rogers (2023-2024)
Together, these twin relief pitchers are two of the most fascinating baseball players in recent history. Taylor throws left-handed, while Tyler throws right-handed. Taylor pitches with a conventional overhand motion, while Tyler has a more submarine style, throwing sidearm and releasing the ball below his knee.
The Rogers twins grew up in Colorado, playing baseball and basketball at Chatfield Senior High School. “Tyler was my best friend growing up, and we were always throwing the ball in the street and in the backyard all spring and summer long,” Taylor said (via The Denver Post). “I think that’s why we were able to get better and get to where we are now, because we each had a best friend to compete with every single day.”
Despite doing everything together up through high school, the twins’ paths diverged after graduation. Taylor was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, but opted to play college baseball for the University of Kentucky instead. Tyler went undrafted, enrolling at Garden City Community College in Kansas, where he developed his submarine pitching style before transferring to Austin Peay State University two years later.
In 2012, Taylor was drafted by the Minnesota Twins (because of course), and Tyler was selected by the San Francisco Giants a year later. Taylor spent four-plus seasons in the Twins’ minor league system before being called up in 2016; Tyler, meanwhile, was not called up by the Giants until 2019.
Taylor played six seasons for the Twins, earning an All-Star selection in 2021. The following spring, Taylor was traded to the Padres, who then sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers at that year’s trade deadline. During the 2022-23 off-season, Taylor signed a three-year contract with the Giants, teaming up with his brother again after years of being on separate paths.
Over the next two seasons, the Rogers twins made regular appearances out of San Francisco’s bullpen, where they would sometimes warm up simultaneously. Unfortunately, the reunion ended this past off-season, as Taylor was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Perhaps they can team up again sometime?
B.J. and Justin Upton (2013-2014, 2015)
There are brothers that are teammates, and then there are brothers that share an outfield together. For three seasons, that was a regular occurrence for brothers B.J. and Justin Upton.
Growing up in Virginia, the Uptons played on travel teams that were rich with future MLB talent, playing alongside Mark Reynolds, David Wright, and Ryan Zimmerman. Among this group, B.J. would be the first to reach the MLB level, debuting for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004. Three years later, Justin made his MLB debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On Aug. 3, 2012, B.J. and Justin hit their 100th career home runs on the same day, less than an hour apart from one another. In the ensuing off-season, B.J. signed with the Atlanta Braves in free agency, with Justin being traded there around the same time.
Their first season as teammates was quite eventful, as the Uptons hit home runs in the same game multiple times, and collided with one another in the outfield at one point. B.J. and Justin even got a taste of the postseason, as Atlanta won the NL East for the first time in eight years.
In 2014, the Uptons homered in the same game twice more, becoming the first pair of brothers to hit a home run in the same game five times. Prior to the 2015 season, the Braves traded both B.J. and Justin to San Diego, albeit in two separate trades. B.J. (going by Melvin Upton Jr. at this point in time) would not play for the Padres until June, being sidelined with a foot injury to begin the season.
After one more season together as teammates, the Upton brothers parted ways in 2016 when Justin signed with the Detroit Tigers. That same year, Melvin (B.J.) played his final bit of MLB action with the Toronto Blue Jays, retiring in 2019 after a stint in the minor leagues and diminishing interest from other teams. Justin hung around MLB until 2022, retiring after a short stint with the Seattle Mariners.
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Families get lucky when one of their children goes on to become a professional athlete. It’s even more special when they have two of them make it to the pros, especially when they get a chance to play on the same team. For many siblings, it is a childhood goal to play on a team together, but for one reason or another, it does not always come to pass.
When it does work out, it is extremely special for everyone involved. There is usually a sense of boosted confidence when two siblings become teammates, fused with a dash of sibling rivalry. Sports are meant to be fun, though, and they can be really fun with one of your childhood best friends by your side.
Memories last a lifetime, and the people that you share them with make them worth remembering.
