Identical athletes sharing the same name take DNA test to uncover family ties
Every so often, reality hands us a story so unusual that it makes us question the boundaries between coincidence and destiny. That’s exactly what happened when the sports world was introduced to not one, but two baseball players named Brady Feigl. Both men stood at the same towering height of 6’4, both shared the same fiery red hair and beard, both wore the same type of glasses, and both were pitchers who—against astronomical odds—underwent the same Tommy John surgery with the same doctor. To teammates, fans, and even casual observers, the resemblance was uncanny, almost unsettling, like seeing a living copy of someone who was still standing right beside you. It didn’t take long before whispers began circulating: could these two men be long-lost brothers, separated at birth yet somehow set on the same professional path?
Curiosity soon turned into something bigger. The internet lit up with speculation, teammates poked fun, and eventually, the pair decided to confront the mystery directly with a DNA test. In 2018, their results revealed the truth: while they both carried about 53% Germanic ancestry, genetically, they were not related. No hidden family ties, no dramatic reunion, just two men whose similarities seemed written by the universe’s strangest sense of humor. Yet their bond didn’t disappear with that news—it grew in a different way. Both Bradys embraced the bizarre twist life had given them, calling each other brothers all the same. Today, years later, people still wonder: how do they look now, and what does their story say about identity, connection, and the things that make us human?
Brady Feigl and his doppelganger, Brady Feigl. In addition to sharing a name and extreme similarities in appearance, each was a minor league baseball pitcher and had the same elbow surgery performed by the same doctor. A DNA test confirmed no relation. pic.twitter.com/UFiGQAWENp
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) June 23, 2024
The Uncanny Match
The beginning of the Feigl story reads like a script out of a sports comedy, yet every detail is fact. Both men are named Brady Feigl, both chose careers as pitchers, and both wore glasses that became a defining feature of their look. Their fiery ginger hair and thick red beards amplified the similarity, creating a resemblance so sharp it puzzled those around them. Even beyond looks, they shared life events: both went under the knife for Tommy John surgery, and incredibly, the same surgeon performed the procedure for each of them. This wasn’t just a matter of appearance anymore—it seemed as though their lives were being written in parallel lines.
At the time, sports fans were fascinated by the odds. Two men with the same name, playing the same sport, looking like mirror images, and sharing the same medical history? It felt impossible. Analysts and fans alike speculated about the rarity of such a coincidence. Statistically, identical names in professional sports are rare enough, but identical appearances and mirrored life events push the limits of probability. And yet, there they were, side by side, proof that sometimes reality writes stories stranger than fiction.
What makes this early chapter even more fascinating is how it pulled people together. Fans across the country who may never have cared about minor league baseball suddenly found themselves captivated by the Brady Feigl mystery. It sparked conversations about identity, genetics, and the strange ways life can echo itself. In a world that often feels random, their story offered a reminder that sometimes coincidences are so profound they feel like signals. For the Bradys, it wasn’t just about baseball anymore—it was about being living examples of the extraordinary within the ordinary.
What the DNA Said
When the two Bradys agreed to take a DNA test in 2018, it felt like the moment of truth. For many, it was the chance to finally confirm what their eyes already believed: that these men must be related. The reveal, however, shocked everyone. The results confirmed they were not related by blood in any way. Despite the uncanny resemblance, there were no shared parents or grandparents linking them together. The one overlap in their results—a shared 53% Germanic ancestry—was little more than a reflection of the genetic history many Americans carry. Beyond that, their DNA diverged completely.
But instead of disappointment, the results became a new chapter in their bond. Both men leaned into the absurdity of their situation, publicly joking about their twin-like connection and even calling each other brothers regardless of what the science said. The test could only reveal what they were not. It couldn’t erase the bizarre synchronicities of their lives, nor could it diminish the bond they built through their shared experience. What could have been an anticlimactic ending instead became an affirmation: family is more than biology, and kinship can be chosen as much as inherited.
The DNA results also became a teaching moment for those watching from the outside. In an era where people are increasingly using genetic testing to learn about ancestry or hidden family ties, the Bradys’ outcome reminded everyone that DNA doesn’t tell the whole story. Science can map the building blocks of who we are, but it cannot measure connection, memory, or the deep sense of recognition we sometimes feel toward others. For the Bradys, the test was not an end point but a doorway into something more meaningful: the understanding that relationships are made as much through choice and shared experience as they are through blood.
What They Look Like Now
Fast forward to today, and the two Bradys are still connected by their story, even as their appearances have shifted slightly over the years. One Brady has traded his signature thick beard for a more streamlined moustache, a choice that changes the structure of his face and softens the mirror-image effect that once startled fans. Without the heavy beard and glasses combination, the two look more distinct now than they did at the height of their viral fame. Yet the echoes of resemblance are still there: the ginger hair, the frame, the unmistakable presence that sparks recognition.
Their careers, too, have taken different paths. One Feigl is now part of the Minnesota Twins system, signing a minor league deal in early 2025, while the other continues his own journey outside the spotlight. The small changes in grooming and professional direction highlight a deeper truth: over time, people naturally evolve, and even those who once looked nearly identical can grow into more defined versions of themselves. They are no longer the perfect mirror images they once seemed, but perhaps that makes their story even richer. They have become two men with unique identities, forever linked by the strangeness of their shared past.
Beyond the superficial changes in appearance and career, their story now resonates in new ways. With time, the novelty of their resemblance has faded, but what has remained is the lesson they carry with them: that identity is both malleable and lasting. We shape how we present ourselves to the world, but some core elements—the ways we move, the ways we carry ourselves, the energy we bring into a room—remain unmistakable. Even as the Bradys grow more distinct, their bond endures as a reminder that what connects us runs deeper than what the eye can see.
Deeper Reflections
What makes the Brady Feigl story so compelling is not just the uncanny resemblance, but what it reveals about how we understand identity. At first glance, we often equate similarity in appearance with connection. Our brains are wired to see patterns, to assume kinship when faces align. Yet the DNA results remind us that resemblance is not the same as relation. Identity is built not just on genes but on experiences, choices, and the relationships we form along the way.
The two Bradys also remind us that family is not strictly about biology. Even after discovering they weren’t related, they embraced the title of brothers in spirit. That decision underscores an important truth: chosen bonds can be just as strong—if not stronger—than inherited ones. Their story prompts us to reconsider the weight we give to biology in defining our connections. What matters most are the ways we show up for each other, the support we give, and the recognition of shared humanity that extends beyond DNA.
In a culture where people often seek certainty—about who they are, where they come from, and how they fit into the bigger picture—the Bradys’ story offers a powerful counterpoint. It suggests that meaning is not always found in certainty but in mystery. Their resemblance, though unexplained by genetics, remains a kind of poetry written into the fabric of their lives. And perhaps that is the lesson: that life’s strangest coincidences can invite us to expand our sense of connection, reminding us that belonging isn’t always about proof, but about presence.
Lessons for All of Us
This story might seem like a quirky footnote in baseball history, but it holds lessons we can carry into our own lives. First, it reminds us to question assumptions. Just because two things look alike doesn’t mean they are the same, whether we’re talking about people, situations, or opportunities. Second, it highlights the importance of self-reflection. Our identities are layered—part inherited, part chosen. The way we present ourselves, from our style to our actions, shapes how the world sees us.
Most importantly, the Bradys teach us the power of valuing relationships beyond origin. The people who impact our lives most deeply are not always those linked to us by blood, but those who share experiences, walk beside us, and offer connection when it matters. Their story is funny, heartwarming, and thought-provoking all at once. And in the end, it challenges us to embrace both the coincidences that shape our lives and the choices we make to define who we are. Sometimes the strangest stories hold the clearest mirrors to what it means to be human.
Ultimately, the Bradys’ tale calls us to live with more openness and curiosity. When we encounter the unexpected—whether in people who resemble us, opportunities that echo past choices, or moments that feel like déjà vu—we can treat them not as accidents but as invitations. Invitations to reflect, to grow, to connect in ways we may not have anticipated. That is the heart of their story: not just that life is strange, but that strangeness can become a teacher, showing us how to see ourselves and others more deeply.