It’s been a long wait for Rutgers baseball fans, but the drought is finally over. Brian Fitzpatrick, a former Scarlet Knight standout, made his Major League Baseball debut on April 29th, stepping onto the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In doing so, he became the first Rutgers alum to appear in an MLB game since 2021, when Brian O’Grady and Patrick Kivlehan both suited up for the San Diego Padres. Fitzpatrick is also the first Rutgers player to earn a call-up to the big leagues since O’Grady did it back in 2019.

Selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Fitzpatrick has been steadily climbing through the ranks. Over 81 appearances across all levels of Milwaukee’s farm system, he’s posted an impressive 3.49 ERA over 172.2 innings. His journey to the majors was propelled by a dominant start to the 2026 season with Triple-A Nashville, where he posted a perfect 0.00 ERA in 10.1 innings, racking up 11 strikeouts against just two walks.

In his debut outing, Fitzpatrick pitched 1.1 innings of relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out none. The Diamondbacks ultimately took the game 6-2, fueled by a four-run fourth inning. Despite the loss, it was a milestone moment for the right-hander and a proud day for the Rutgers baseball program.

Fitzpatrick’s path to the pros was paved during his senior season at Rutgers in 2022, where he went 3-1 with a 3.91 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and just nine walks over 23 innings. He closed out his collegiate career on a high note, tossing four shutout innings with six strikeouts to lead the Scarlet Knights to a win over Indiana in the Big Ten tournament. Now, with his first MLB appearance under his belt, Fitzpatrick is proving that hard work and Scarlet Knight pride can take you all the way to the show.