Oh brother: Remembering some of MLB’s most notable siblings

It’s a pretty special feeling when brothers make the major leagues. The journey starts together from Little League, up through high school and college baseball, and through the minors. We’ll look back at some of the most memorable sets of brothers in MLB history. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

MLB’s website wrote that Greg Maddux was the master of control and efficiency. It seemed like he could hit his spot on the plate whenever he wanted. Greg is a four-time Cy Young award winner and a Baseball Hall of Famer. Mike Maddux pitched in MLB for 14 seasons himself. Maddux has been a pitching coach on several teams for over 20 years.

Cal Ripken Jr. is the iron man of baseball, having played in 2,632 straight games over 16 years. The Athletic believes that no one will—or might want to—break that record. Billy Ripken played in MLB for 12 seasons, seven of which came with the Baltimore Orioles. He got to play with Cal in Baltimore from 1987-1992.

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Joe DiMaggio is a Hall of Famer who won three MVPs and nine World Series championships. It’s remarkable to think that those totals may have increased had he not spent three years serving in the military. Dom DiMaggio was no slouch in his own right, making seven All-Star teams in an 11-year career with the Boston Red Sox.

Jason Giambi was a feared slugger, with his best years coming as a member of the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Bleacher Report has written about his “lucky golden thong”, which teammates would wear to break out of slumps at the plate. Jeremy Giambi played five seasons in the majors, and played with Jason in Oakland from 2000-2001.

Jose Canseco has become infamous for exposing steroid use in MLB, after he wrote a book called “Juiced.” He told Sports Illustrated in 2015 that he wishes he had never written the book. Jose was a six-time All-Star and won MVP in 1988. Ozzie Canseco played in the majors for three seasons, suiting up in 74 total games with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.

Bleacher Report wrote a story in 2011 supporting the notion that Roberto Alomar is the greatest second baseman of all time. Alomar’s super smooth fielding skills made him a joy to watch at the position. While perhaps not as popular, Sandy Alomar was an excellent catcher for a long time in MLB. The six-time All-Star has leant his expertise to MLB backstops since he retired.

Both Boone brothers had their share of highlights during their MLB careers. Aaron Boone is best remembered for his walk-off home run with the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Aaron Boone also currently manages the Yankees. Bret Boone was perhaps the better player, making three All-Star appearances. He hit 37 home runs and drove in 141 runs for the Seattle Mariners in 2001.

Felipe Alou was a three-time All-Star as a player, but is best remembered as a manager. Felipe won 1,033 games as skipper of the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants. Jesus Alou is a two-time World Series champion, while Matty Alou is a two-time All-Star who also won the batting title in 1966.

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MLB’s website believes that Pedro Martinez was the most dominant pitcher at his peak. Many believe the crescendo of his career took place in 1999, where he went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA. Ramon Martinez pitched in the major leagues for 14 years, making an All-Star team with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1990.

Joe Torre is one of the most revered managers in MLB history. He’s fifth all-time in wins as a manager, with 2,326 victories. He led the New York Yankees to four World Series championships. Joe was also a nine-time All-Star as a player, and an MVP in 1971. His brother Frank Torre played five seasons in MLB.

George Brett was a 13-time All-Star who spent his entire 21-year career with the Kansas City Royals. George’s career batting average was .305, making him one of the game’s greatest contact hitters. Ken Brett was a pitcher who played for several clubs during his MLB career. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1974 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All three Molina brothers were catchers in the major leagues. Yadier was the most decorated, with 10 All-Star appearances to his name, nine Gold Gloves, and two World Series titles. CBS Sports believes Yadier’s Hall of Fame case is intriguing. Bengie and Jose played together with the Angels from 2001-2005, winning the World Series together as teammates in 2002.

Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero are hoping that their son and nephew respectively, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., will be better than both of them combined. NBC Sports wrote about Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s free swinging ways, which remarkably allowed him to hit pitchers most players wouldn’t dream of swinging at. Wilton played seven seasons in the major leagues.

Dizzy Dean was one of MLB’s earliest stars. He was a four-time All-Star pitcher who won an MVP in 1934. Paul Dean was also a pitcher, who played for nine MLB seasons from 1934 to 1943.

Hank Aaron has hit the second most home runs of all time, as his 755 long balls are just seven shy of Barry Bonds’ career total. Hank Aaron is also MLB’s all-time leader in RBI with 2,297, and total bases with 6,856. Tommie Aaron played seven seasons in MLB, all coming next to his brother Hank with the Braves organization.

MLB’s website revealed that Joe and Phil Niekro’s father taught his sons the knuckleball pitch, which would eventually lead Phil to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Phil was a five-time All-Star who spent most of his career with the Braves organization. Joe Niekro spent the prime years of his career pitching for the Houston Astros.

Robin Yount spent his entire 21-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He won two MVP awards, and was (perhaps surprisingly) named to the All-Star team three times. His brother Larry only pitched in one MLB game, back in 1971, but stayed close to the game in other ways. Larry was Robin’s agent throughout the latter’s MLB career.

Mathewson was a dynamic pitcher in the early 1900s. He posted the best ERA in the league five times in his MLB career. His brother Henry pitched in three career MLB games spanning 1906 to 1907.

Both Uptons had solid MLB careers. B.J. spent his prime seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, and made his mark on the basepaths. Justin Upton was more of a power hitter, who made four All-Star appearances in his career. Justin came up with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he spent the first six seasons of his career.

Eddie Murray was an eight-time All-Star during his 21-year MLB career. He hit 504 home runs during his MLB tenure, spending the prime years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. His brother Rich Murray actually never made it to MLB, but spent many seasons in AAA, with his best power season coming in 1977 with Cedar Rapids.

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