Keller is the 430^th NWL alum to debut in Major League Baseball

Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League proudly celebrates alum Brian Keller, who made his Major League Baseball debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25, 2026. The right-handed pitcher becomes the 430^th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB.

Brian Keller, who played for the La Crosse Loggers in 2014 and the Lakeshore Chinooks in 2015, made his long-awaited MLB debut with the Phillies.

The Germantown, Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee standout pitched three innings in relief against the New York Yankees (the team that originally drafted him in the 39th round in 2016), allowing one run on two hits while striking out three.

In the Northwoods League, Keller excelled as a starter. With the Loggers in 2014, he went 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA over five starts (34.1 IP, 23 strikeouts). In 2015 with the Chinooks, he delivered strong outings, including a 7.2-inning, one-hit performance with six strikeouts in a victory.

Keller, now 32, signed a minor league contract with the Phillies in May 2026 and posted a 2.23 ERA in Triple-A before earning his call-up. His journey through the minors, including time with the Yankees and Red Sox organizations, plus overcoming injuries, makes this debut especially noteworthy.

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 33^rd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 425 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on FloSports.tv.