Trey Ebel got a call to do something most players will never experience, and he turned it into a tidy little moment of family history.
The Brewers’ 2026 first-rounder stepped into the box for his older brother Brady Ebel during a resumed Single-A Wilson game Tuesday, finishing an at-bat that had been interrupted by rain and lightning back on July 19. Brady was already gone from the Warbirds by then, having been promoted to High-A Wisconsin last week. Trey, Milwaukee’s No. 17 prospect, worked the plate well enough to earn a walk after six pitches.
“I was in the cage this morning, and when they sent out what we're gonna do for the game, I was like, 'No way! This is crazy,'" Trey said after the game.
"How cool is that? I don't know if that's been done before, having the younger brother finish [an older brother's] at-bat.
I'm super stoked."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a player pinch-hit for his sibling in the Majors came on Sept. 18, 2018, when Corban Joseph went in for Caleb Joseph with the Orioles.
Wilson finished off Hickory, 12-4, at Wilson Ballpark after the game picked back up from L.P. Frans Stadium.
And the family connection didn’t stop with Trey’s plate appearance. Both Ebel brothers scored in the win.
Brady, the Brewers’ No. 4 prospect and the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 Draft, opened the game as the second batter and got things moving immediately. He was hit by a pitch from right-hander Daniel Keaney of the Rangers, stole second and came around on a Juan Martinez single. Trey later added another walk in the eighth and scored on Kyle Jones’ sacrifice fly.
The dinner tab may still be the biggest thing Trey has to think about next.
He said he planned to call Brady Tuesday night to figure out where the older brother should take him when they’re together again next month. “Should I go like a big one, some steak or something?"
Trey laughed. "I may tell him to take me out for a steak, some mac and cheese."
The Ebel family has plenty of baseball built in. Their father, Dino Ebel, is the Dodgers’ third base coach and has been on staff since 2019 after 13 seasons coaching for the Angels. Their mother, Shannon, has been crisscrossing the month between Brady’s games last week and Trey’s game Tuesday in North Carolina.
“I called my dad and let him know, and he was like, 'Really? That's pretty cool,'" Trey said. "My dad was super stoked and my mom was even happy too."
Brady was officially promoted to the Timber Rattlers the same day Trey arrived for his pro debut. He entered the week hitting .256/.412/.414 across two levels this season.
For Trey, the headline moment fit right into a start that has gone as smoothly as he could have hoped. Through his first 34 plate appearances, the 17-year-old shortstop has hit .250/.471/.292 with seven runs, four RBIs and 10 walks.
“It’s everything that I expected,” he said. “I was just mostly excited to be in professional baseball, get the opportunity to come out and play. That's just the main thing: continue to work hard, continue to have fun and see how much better I can get over the course of these next years.”
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