Germantown and UWM alum Brian Keller, 32, to make major-league debut

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Germantown and UWM alum Brian Keller, 32, to make major-league debut

JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Sat, Jul 25, 2026 ·

3 min read

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On the precipice of capping a remarkable baseball journey, Germantown High School and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alumnus Brian Keller has been added to the Philadelphia Phillies , possibly to start or pitch in bulk relief on July 25. If he gets into the game, it will be his first major-league appearance, and it'll come against the team that drafted him back in 2016.

The 32-year-old Keller was drafted in the 39th round by the New York Yankees out of UW-Milwaukee, the 1,178th player selected in that draft. He had a promising start to his career with the Yankees but was facing long odds to reach the big leagues, and that was before the injuries.

WORCESTER - Brian Keller pitches for the WooSox during the game against the Charlotte Knight on Saturday.

He's pitched in eight games this year for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Class AAA affiliate of the Phillies and he posed a 2.23 ERA. The franchise signed him in May, and it's been a wild ride over the past several years.

As Iron Pigs broadcaster Sam Jellinek points out, Keller traveled to Japan to pitch in 2023 but needed Tommy John surgery after just three appearances, then he rehabbed for a year before paying for his own second surgery in 2024. That means coming into the 2026 season, Keller had not pitched in three full seasons.

He did reach as high as Class AAA with the Yankees, both in 2019 and on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. He joined the Red Sox thereafter and always posted strong numbers but never garnered the call-up. He has a career 3.11 ERA in seven minor-league seasons.

With the Panthers, he became the first UWM pitcher to record 10 victories in a season and earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Year. He had a 10-3 mark, 3.10 ERA, school-record 103 strikeouts with just 20 walks, three shutouts, four complete games and a school-record 107⅓ innings pitched.

He'll become just the third big leaguer to hail from UWM, and the others are currently in the major leagues. Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho and Astros pitcher A.J. Blubaugh are the others. Keller also pitched Germantown High School into the summer baseball state-title game back in 2012.