Two Baseball Players With The Name Brady Feigl Determine If They Are Family By Taking DNA Tests

Published: Nov 21, 2023

Do you ever wonder if there is another person in the world that is a carbon copy of you in every way? Imagine yourself in this situation; what would you do? It’s natural to assume that two men who seem so similar are related, but these two are actually total strangers. This isn’t some made-up tale; it happened to two individuals from different states. 

They discovered that they not only shared the same name but also looked remarkably similar to each other. So the two of them decided to get their DNA tested, and this is what they found. Read the story that has the whole world talking.

Brady Feigl from Missouri

Brady Gregory Feigl, who shall hereafter be referred to as “Brady 1” for the sake of clarity, was born in Missouri and has loved baseball since he was a young boy. He had excellent grades and was a tall, athletic guy. His parents took every opportunity to gush over what a wonderful child he was. 

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Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Brady was very close to his folks and had a lot of faith in them. Up until he met Brady 2, he never doubted his parents. Yet, could they have kept a secret from him for many years?

Brady Feigl from Maryland

Brady Matthew Feigl, or “Brady 2,” is a class jokester who has been playing baseball since he could walk. He is a southpaw from Maryland. With the second Brady being born not too far from Missouri, it’s easy to assume that the two are indeed related. Are they twins that were separated at birth because of adoption? 

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Source: bfeigl39 / Instagram

The possibility is strong, especially with the two men having the same hair color and height. No wonder people have mistaken them for one another. Did the parents of the right-handed baseball player hide something important from him? An important detail that could have readied him for events about to transpire.

Are Any of them Adopted?

If one or both of these Bradys have been adopted, it would not be surprising to know they are curious about their roots. Aside from wanting to know their biological parents, they would like to understand why they gave their twin boys up. 

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Source: bmfeigl / Instagram

It is not uncommon for adoptees to grow up with no idea who or what they originally were. Simply said, they desire to know more about their background and origins; they may not even be interested in finding their biological relatives. Adoptees always have pressing issues that can only be resolved by learning more about where they come from.

They Share a Common Love

Their physical appearance is not the only similarity the men share because they both love the same sport—baseball. Right-handed Brady Gregory Feigl participated in collegiate baseball at Mississippi before joining the Oakland Athletics’ Single-A Beloit (Wisconsin) Snappers. At Mount St. Mary’s, his doppelgänger played collegiate baseball for his local team before joining the Texas Rangers Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock (Texas) Express. 

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Source: Kc0616 / wikicommons

Even though they lived miles away from one another, the sport they loved made it possible for them to cross paths. So how has baseball become the key for the two Bradys to discover each other’s existence? Did they get signed up for the same minor-league team?

They Look Like Clones of One Another

If people see the two Bradys together, they will automatically think they are identical twins. This is because the type of siblings share an appearance and are always of the same gender. Even though many identical twins look the same, that doesn’t mean they can’t be told apart. Twins can be told apart by their hairstyle, moles, or freckles, as well as by how they look or move. 

Source: Inside Edition / YouTube

Brady 1 and Brady 2 also have in common the characteristics of being redheaded and bearded men of above-average height. In addition, they both wear identical eyeglasses. Naturally, even if you see some small differences in their appearance, it’s still possible for them to be twin brothers.

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Long Lost Brothers Reunited?

With both men looking so much alike, it’s easy to believe they are long-lost brothers. Perhaps their mother could not care for the twins; either she wasn’t financially capable or was too young when she had them. Because it was not possible to adopt them together, the twins were separated at birth. 

Source: Inside Edition / YouTube

One went to parents from Missouri, the other to a couple in Maryland. Still, they were destined to meet again because, despite being separated, they both went to households that loved baseball. Their adoptive parents weren’t only fans; they supported their boys playing the sport. Could this be the true story of the two Bradys?

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What are the Chances?

It’s nice to be told that you look like a famous person, but is it possible to look exactly like someone you’ve never met? Yes, it seems, and a new group wants to prove it. The Twin Strangers Project is an effort by a group of friends to find people in the world who look just like them. 

Source: bfeigl39 / Instagram

There’s a scientific explanation why a stranger could look like you: According to Joseph McInerney, executive vice president of the American Society of Human Genetics, any two random persons share 99.5 percent of their DNA sequence. So are these Brady Feigls just strangers who happen to look like one another?

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Greeting the Wrong Brady Feigl

With the dawn of social media, greeting people with happy birthdays online has become common. Then, we either post a solo photo of the celebrant with the greeting as a caption or choose a snap that includes us.

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

That said, when wishing right-handed Brady Feigl a happy birthday on a popular social media platform in November 2017, the Ole Miss account handler also mistook the two. Brady 2, who has not played at Ole Miss, corrected her and responded, “Wrong Brady Feigl.” and added the correct baseball player’s username. Mary Claire Hamner, an Ole Miss marketing graduate assistant, couldn’t believe what she had discovered through the incorrect greetings.

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No Idea a Lookalike Existed

Until the day they discovered each other, both Bradys never realized there was somewhere out there who looked exactly like them. With their homes only being a 17-hour drive apart, it was possible acquaintances of each had mistaken them for each other. We never know; perhaps Brady 1’s parents took a trip to Maryland in the past and could swear they encountered their son, who they left at home in Missouri, or vice versa. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

What are the chances there are people out there who look exactly like us? In the Fiegl men’s case, someone who even wears the same glasses, cap, beard, and has the same height! Will the two Bradys ever meet?

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The Same Elbow Injury

Overuse injuries are common among baseball players due to the accumulated stress placed on the body from playing numerous games each week and the repetitive nature of the overhead throwing motion. Baseball players frequently endure arm discomfort and are susceptible to overuse injuries if they don’t take breaks or switch sports throughout the season.

Source: bmfeigl / Instagram

These overuse injuries might develop into more significant issues if not treated properly. As fate would have it, the same elbow injury happened to the two Brady Feigl. Although their injuries were unfortunate, it was through the Tommy John surgery they had that would lead to their discovery of one another.

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The Case of a Mistaken Identity

Before 2015, when they each went to world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews for Tommy John surgery on their elbows, neither player knew the other existed. No, they did not cross each other’s path at the doctor’s office. Instead, the discovery happened because Dr. Andrews’s office called one of the baseball player’s trainers to follow up on his elbow surgery. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

As it happened, the office contacted the wrong Brady Feigl, who was already six or seven months out of surgery. So imagine the surprise of his trainer when he was asked if the baseball player would come for surgery the following day. What were the odds that his double would also get the same type of operation?

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The Two Bradys Discovering One Another

The chances of another person with the same name playing the same sport and getting the same surgery are near impossible. Naturally, right-handed Brady Feigl got curious after the wrong call from Dr. Andrew’s office. Of course, he had to know more!

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

What does the other Brad Feigl look like? He isn’t just going to undergo Tommy John surgery; his namesake also plays baseball! So it’s not surprising he got curious about the other Brady Feigl. Imagine his surprise when he saw what he looked like. If we are to guess, he likely asked other people present if someone was pranking him. What the ball player saw was his clone!

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The Weasleys Became Their Calling Cards

 Fans of the Harry Potter books and films will likely recall Ron Weasley’s siblings, Fred and George. These two renowned twins, who were bold and memorable, became the Bradys’ calling cards. The baseball players looked eerily like the redheaded twins from the *Harry Potter* movie series. 

Source: Gareth Davies/Getty Images

They were even more comparable to the Weasley twins because the Maryland Brady was more of a class clown. We can’t help but wonder if he wreaked havoc at school with his pranks, just like the whiskey. If you ask us, though, Britain’s Prince Harry could pass us the lookalike’s brother. Just add a thick beard to the Duke of Sussex, and he’s perfect.

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Are they 100% Similar?

After learning of each other’s existence, the Bradys decided to investigate any similarities that would indicate they were related. They began by noting the many ways in which they were alike. Of course, the first things they noticed were the obvious ones—the beard, the height, them wearing the same black-rimmed glasses, and they had a similar humorous outlook on life. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

With all of their similarities, they could change places, like in the plot of the movie *Parent Trap*. It would have been fascinating to see if their loved ones would notice the switch. Perhaps a TV station would pick up this idea and make a reality show starring the two Brady Feigls.

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They are Not Completely Identical

Even though the two men shared several striking parallels, there were also a few key distinctions between them. One long look at them would make someone see the differences between Brady 1 and Brady 2. When they get their beards shaved, they do have a slightly different appearance, and the Brady 1 is significantly heavier than Brady 2 by more than 30 pounds. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Additionally, Brady, who was from Maryland, had blue eyes, while the one from Missouri had hazel eyes. Could it still be possible for twins to have different eye colors? Doubt began to creep into their minds.

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Can Identical Twins Have Different Eye Colors

Even though identical twins (coming from a single egg that separates into two) may differ in height and weight, it almost always happens that they will have the same eye color. This occurs because our genes or the natural world determine most of our eye color when born.

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Still, due to the recessive nature of the genes causing either blue or green eyes, both parents can carry them even if only one has light-colored eyes. So, even though they had different eye colors, the doppelgängers understood it was still entirely feasible that they were connected.

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Their Story Went Viral

On social media, Texas Rangers beat writer Levi Weaver posted head photographs of the two minor league pitchers who both seem almost identical, stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, and have the name “Brady Feigl.” This is how the similarities between the two Bradys went viral online. Shortly after, the media contacted the duo to feature their unique story. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Even with many television outlets reaching out to the two Bradys, it was the show *Inside Edition* they trusted to tell their tale. We don’t know where the men based their decision—probably because they were fans of the show.

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The Truth Will Come Out in a DNA Test

As it turned out, *Inside Edition* wasn’t only interested in how the pair discovered they looked alike. They were after something else, an idea that would surely boost their show’s ratings. Although the baseball players met face to face, there was still an issue left unresolved—their relationship. Are they really long-lost brothers or twins?

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Do they have the same DNA makeup? Why didn’t the two Bradys take the next step and confirm these details? Naturally, the answers to these lingering questions were something *Inside Edition* was interested in. It’s a long-running investigative show; they have all the means to get to the bottom of the unresolved issues.

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Taking the First Step

*Inside Edition* made the decision to defer to the findings of scientific research and requested that both Brady Feigls submit to a DNA test. This will finally give an answer to the question of whether the two are related.

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

So, both men spit into tubes to collect their saliva, covered the containers with a plastic seal, and then turned them over to be delivered to a laboratory so that trained professionals could inspect them. After this step, there was nothing else for them to do but wait. It would not come as a surprise to us if neither of the Bradys could get a good night’s sleep the night before the results were announced. 

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How a DNA Test Works

Whether or not two people are biologically connected as siblings can be determined by taking a DNA sibling test. There are testing kits that typically allow for the painless collection of a DNA sample from each participant for analysis. The mouth swab sample is made up of cells, the majority of which are made of the genetic material known as DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. 

Source: Maggie Bartlett, NHGRI / wikicommons

Once determined, the DNA profiles of the purported siblings are compared to one another. A statistical analysis based on the match type commonly anticipated for actual biologically related sibling pairs is produced based on the comparison done. This approach yields a “full sibling index” and a “half sibling index.”

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The Results Were Mind Boggling

The Bradys eagerly anticipated the return of their DNA genealogy results from the lab. Of course, each felt some apprehension, but they were excited to find the answers.

They discovered they were not related but had something in common—both share the same proportion (53%) of Germanic ancestry. When someone claims German heritage, they usually mean that their ancestors resided anywhere within the limits of the German Empire at some point in time; however, this need not necessarily be during the time of the empire itself. In particular, a sizable chunk of northern Poland was included in these borders, which were significantly broader than modern Germany.

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Do They Feel Satisfied With the Outcome?

The Feigls did not believe that they were long-lost twins who were separated at birth, nor did they feel that they were related in any way, despite their similarities. Call it intuition, but both men did not think they were brothers. Indeed, it was a coincidence that the strangers happened to look like one another. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Perhaps the reason they did not feel they were related had to do with their parents. It could be that both men traced back their physical traits to their parents, such as Brady 1’s mom being the redhead, while Brady 2 got his ginger qualities from his dad. 

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Why It Was Not Possible to be Twins

If there’s one thing that the two Bradys might have considered, it’s that they could possibly be related. They could be half-brothers (one of their parents hid a secret child) or distant cousins. Twins, on the other hand, were completely out of the question. Why? Because Brady Matthew Feigl is five years older than Brady Gregory Feigl. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

In addition to having different parents and social security numbers, the two Brady Feigls were born five years apart and thrown with their opposite hands. Safe to say, from the beginning, both men knew it was impossible to be twins because of their age. 

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It's Totally By Chance

Is it a mere coincidence that the two Brady Feigls are lookalikes? Recent studies suggest that the likelihood of having an exact double is lower than you might imagine. So researchers in Australia crunched the figures and looked into the possibility of two strangers having identical facial traits in eight key facial features in a 2015 study. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

They discovered that there is a 1 in 135 possibilities that two identical individuals exist anywhere in the world. The probability of someone having exactly the same facial features as you right to the important details is one in a trillion. Truly fascinating but very unlikely.

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The Bradys are a Rare Find

The common belief is that everyone has a perfect twin somewhere in the world. This person would have your exact same physical features, including your mother’s eyes, your father’s nose, and that pesky facial mole you’ve been meaning to get rid of. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

The idea has fascinated people for thousands of years, inspiring novelists and poets and terrifying royals, even becoming the theme of one of the earliest works of literature. One classic story is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Even though it’s scary to have a lookalike somewhere out there, there is only a one in 135 chance of finding a pair of exact doppelgangers—indeed, the Bradys are a rare find.

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They are Not the Only Doppelgängers in the World

The similarities between doppelgängers may not be superficial, according to the findings of a recent study. A new study published in the journal Cell Reports found that people with striking facial similarities also tend to have similar genetic and behavioral traits. Even though it might seem apparent that individuals with similar facial features will also share some DNA, this has never been proven scientifically. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

So scientists worked with the Canadian photographer François Brunelle to comprehend what was occurring genetically among lookalikes. For his “I’m not a lookalike!” project, Brunelle has been traversing the globe since 1999 to take intimate photos of strangers who resemble one another almost exactly.

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What DNA Testing Has Proven

Thirty-two pairs of Brunelle’s models were requested to provide DNA samples and answer questions about their daily lives researchers. First, the scientists examined headshots of the alleged human doubles using facial recognition software that generated a score to indicate how similar their faces were. They found that the program had given identical twin-like scores to half of the doppelgänger pairings, similar to the scores of actual identical twins. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

Next, the researchers examined the subjects’ DNA to determine if the parallels went deeper. Nine of the 16 similar-looking couples shared numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms. The Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute’s scientist, Manel Esteller, told Gizmodo’s Ed Cara that these pairs are “virtual twins.” So, in a way, the two Bradys are related.

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Double Checking for Autographs

Life for the two men has truly changed. The other Feigl’s social media account has unintentionally acquired some followers, and the Maryland southpaw stated he always double-checks any baseball card before signing his autograph. One clue it’s not his if it’s a Perfect Game card. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

A perfect game in baseball is one in which a no-hitter from the opposing team reaches any base during the minimum nine innings pitched by one or more pitchers. So, the elder Feigl will say it’s not his to sign, but fans will ask for his autograph anyway. Perhaps fans of both men are aware of their stories and started following both their careers.

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They Built a Brother-like Bond

The tale of the two Brady Feigls is truly unique, and we can only imagine what they felt going through it all; from finding out, they have a doppelganger to getting a DNA test. The experience surely made the two strangers become friends. 

Source: Inside Edition/YouTube

We wouldn’t be surprised to know that both felt disappointed to find out they were unrelated. Nonetheless, upon learning the results, the elder Brady said they are “still brothers in a way.” To this day, they may still be in touch and spending holiday celebrations together, which would not surprise us.

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