In a moment filled with emotion and perseverance, Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Brady Feigl finally made his Major League Baseball debut at the age of 33. Despite a challenging outing where he gave up six runs in just 1⅔ innings during an 18-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs, the night held special significance for Feigl.
A decade after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Braves in 2014, Feigl stepped onto the mound at the highest level. The former Mount St. Mary’s University pitcher from Emmitsburg, Maryland, had long awaited this opportunity.
“Body kind of shaking,” Feigl admitted when asked about his emotions as he took the mound. “I was just kind of telling myself, ‘Don’t airmail it or spike it.’ [Catcher Yasmani] Grandal’s had a pretty good year, don’t want to beat him up.”
Feigl entered the game in the seventh inning with two outs and the Pirates trailing 11-2. He allowed one run in the eighth inning and five more in the ninth. First baseman Rowdy Tellez came in to relieve Feigl, securing the final two outs while pitching for the second time in three days.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton acknowledged the significance of Feigl’s debut, saying, “Any time someone has grinded through the minor leagues and independent ball as long as he has, for a 33-year-old to be able to make his debut—obviously not the way he wanted it to be—but it’s a dream come true for him.”
Feigl’s journey to the majors was anything but straightforward. After spending three years in the Braves’ farm system until 2016, he moved to the Texas Rangers’ organization, where he pitched from 2017 to 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, and an injury sidelined him in 2021. Over the past two seasons, Feigl pitched in the independent Atlantic League.
The Pirates signed Feigl to a minor-league contract earlier this year, where he posted a 7-2 record with a 3.83 ERA in 33 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. His call-up to the majors came on Sunday, marking the culmination of years of hard work and determination.
Feigl’s story bears similarities to that of Drew Maggi, who also made his MLB debut at 33 for the Pirates on April 26, 2023. When asked if he ever doubted he would reach the majors, Feigl responded, “I mean, maybe. But I know in the back of my head, I wasn’t going to give up. As long as I still have the ability to do it, I’m not going to give up.”
This story was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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