In a historic moment for baseball families, identical twins Austin and Tyler Jones umpired a major‑league doubleheader together for the first time. The brothers, both 31, were on the crew for Wednesday’s Baltimore Orioles‑Toronto Blue Jays series, each calling one of the two games.
How the twins ended up side‑by‑side
Tyler had already worked the opening game of the series, and when rain postponed the middle game, Austin was called in to fill the extra spot on the crew. “This is something we’ve dreamed about forever,” Tyler said. “We were told last year, ‘OK, if we can make it happen, we’ll make it happen.’ The schedules didn’t align, but finally they did.”
Both games end with the same score
The doubleheader produced identical 4‑2 victories for the Orioles. Austin worked first base in the opener while Tyler covered second base. For the nightcap they swapped positions, making the only visual difference the numbers on their uniforms.
From Triple‑A call‑ups to the big leagues
Both brothers are on the list of Triple‑A umpires who fill in at the major‑league level when regular crew members are unavailable. Typically a doubleheader crew expands from four to five umpires, allowing Austin to join his brother on the field. Austin made his major‑league debut in 2024, and Tyler followed in 2025. They had previously worked together in the Gulf Coast League and the Arizona Fall League, but never at the major‑league level.
Family ties on the field
The twins grew up around baseball, umpiring youth games and earning money while still in high school. “Baseball was what we ate, slept or thought of every single moment of the day,” Austin recalled. The brothers attended umpire school together, roomed together, and have been inseparable ever since.
Both brothers’ families were in the stands Wednesday. Austin’s wife and children, as well as the twins’ parents, watched the action. “She told me to look at him not just as the guy at first base, but as my brother,” Austin said, adding that sharing the experience made the day even more special.
Joining a rare group of umpiring families
The Jones twins now join a small group of multi‑generational umpiring families, which includes father‑son duos like Harry and Hunter Wendelstedt and brother pairs such as John and Mark Hirschbeck.
Tyler jokes that he got into umpiring because “I was a really bad baseball player,” but the dedication they both show highlights the often‑overlooked role umpires play in the game.
Original reporting: KOCO Sports (Oklahoma City) — read the source article.
