Will Brennan Bio
William Daniel Brennan (born February 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder who most recently played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants. He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Guardians. Brennan played college baseball for the Kansas State Wildcats from 2017 to 2019. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut with the Guardians in September 2022. Brennan is known for his defensive versatility, having played all three outfield positions, and for his unexpected moment in 2023 when he accidentally hit a bird with a batted ball before dedicating his next home run to its memory.
Early Life and Background
William Daniel Brennan was born on February 2, 1998, in Overland Park, Kansas, USA. He grew up in the Kansas City metropolitan area and attended Blue Valley High School in Overland Park. During his high school years, Brennan developed into a talented baseball player, setting the foundation for his future collegiate and professional career.
Path to Professional Baseball
Following his graduation from Blue Valley High School, Brennan enrolled at Kansas State University, where he played for the Kansas State Wildcats baseball team from 2017 to 2019. He made an immediate impact during his freshman season, batting .350 with 64 hits. His outstanding performance earned him second team All-Big 12 Conference honors and recognition as a Freshman All-American by both the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
During the summer after his freshman year, Brennan played collegiate summer baseball with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Baseball League to further develop his skills. He continued to improve in his sophomore season, hitting .359 with 79 hits, 49 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases, which earned him first team All-Big 12 honors. He spent the summer of 2018 playing for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier collegiate summer leagues in the country. As a junior in 2019, Brennan batted .292 while also contributing as a pitcher with a 5.51 ERA in 80 innings over the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Will Brennan Career
Cleveland Guardians Organization (2019–2025)
The Cleveland Indians selected Brennan in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft, with the 250th overall selection. After signing with the organization, he was initially assigned to the rookie-level Arizona League Indians before being promoted to the Low-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brennan began the 2021 season with the High-A Lake County Captains. He was promoted to the Double-A Akron RubberDucks after batting .290 in 62 games with Lake County. He continued his strong offensive production in 2022, beginning the season with Akron before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers after hitting .304 with 39 RBI, which led the Eastern League at the time of his promotion.
Cleveland Guardians MLB Debut and Breakthrough (2022–2025)
The Guardians selected Brennan’s contract on September 21, 2022, adding him to their active roster. He made his major league debut that same day against the Chicago White Sox. Just over a week later, on October 2, 2022, Brennan hit his first major league home run and triple in the same game off of Max Castillo. For the 2022 season, he hit .357 with eight RBI and one home run in 42 at-bats. He also appeared in five postseason games, going 2-for-11 with one RBI and six strikeouts as the Guardians advanced to the postseason.
The 2023 season brought memorable moments for Brennan. On May 22, 2023, during a game against the Chicago White Sox, he accidentally hit and killed a bird with a batted ball. The following day, he hit a home run and dedicated it to the memory of the bird. On June 9, 2023, he recorded his first career walkoff hit in the 14th inning of a 10-9 victory against the Houston Astros. Throughout the season, Brennan showcased his versatility by playing all three outfield positions. He finished the 2023 campaign with a .266/.299/.356 slash line, five home runs, 41 RBI, and 13 stolen bases across 138 total games.
In 2024, Brennan made 114 appearances for the Guardians, hitting .264/.309/.388 with eight home runs, 30 RBI, and four stolen bases. He began the 2025 season with Triple-A Columbus after being optioned there to start the year. On May 12, 2025, he was recalled by the Guardians, but he went 1-for-11 (.091) with one walk over six appearances. On June 9, 2025, Brennan underwent season-ending reconstruction of his left UCL. On September 6, 2025, it was announced that he had undergone additional surgery to correct a lingering groin injury. On November 21, 2025, the Guardians non-tendered Brennan, making him a free agent.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brennan is recognized for his defensive versatility, having logged significant innings at all three outfield positions throughout his career. His ability to play center field, left field, and right field provides managers with valuable positional flexibility. Offensively, he has shown the capacity to hit for average and power at the minor league level, with his best professional season coming in 2022 when he hit .357 during his brief MLB appearance. He has also demonstrated speed on the bases, recording double-digit stolen bases in a single season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Several moments have defined Brennan’s early MLB career. His September 2022 debut with the Guardians marked the culmination of his journey from the 2019 draft through the minor leagues. The unusual bird incident in May 2023 became a memorable anecdote, with his subsequent home run dedication showing his character. His first career walkoff hit on June 9, 2023, against the Houston Astros in a 14-inning thriller represented a clutch moment in a young career. The 2025 season was unfortunately derailed by injury, as he underwent UCL reconstruction surgery in June.
Will Brennan Career Wins
Throughout his professional career, Brennan has accumulated solid offensive statistics across multiple levels of minor league baseball before establishing himself as a major league contributor. His most impressive minor league season came in 2022 with Akron and Columbus, where he hit over .300 and led the Eastern League in RBI before his MLB call-up.
MLB Career Statistics
Through the 2025 season, Brennan has played in parts of four MLB seasons with the Cleveland Guardians. He has appeared in approximately 260 major league games, compiling a career batting average around .263 with 14 home runs and 79 runs batted in through late May 2026. His best MLB season came in 2023 when he played 138 games with five home runs and 41 RBI. He followed that with a solid 2024 campaign, making 114 appearances with eight home runs and 30 RBI.
Minor League Highlights
Prior to his MLB debut, Brennan posted impressive numbers throughout the Cleveland minor league system. His standout performance came at the Triple-A level with the Columbus Clippers in 2022, where he hit .304 with 39 RBI before his promotion. He consistently demonstrated the ability to hit for average above .290 at every minor league level, including a .290 performance in 62 games with High-A Lake County in 2021. His collegiate career at Kansas State also showed his potential, with him batting over .350 as a freshman and maintaining strong averages throughout his three seasons.
| Level | Games | Batting Average | Home Runs | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB (Career) | ~260 | .263 | 14 | 79 |
| Triple-A Columbus (2022) | ~50 | .304 | ~5 | 39 |
| High-A Lake County (2021) | 62 | .290 | ~3 | ~25 |
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season proved to be a challenging and ultimately disappointing year for Brennan. After being optioned to Triple-A Columbus to begin the season, he received a recall to the Guardians on May 12, 2025. However, his time with the major league club was brief and frustrating, as he went just 1-for-11 at the plate with one walk over six appearances, producing a .091 batting average.
The situation took a significant turn for the worse when Brennan suffered an injury that required season-ending surgery. On June 9, 2025, he underwent reconstruction of his left UCL, a procedure that typically requires an extended recovery timeline for baseball players. Later in September 2025, he underwent a second surgery to address a lingering groin injury that had affected him during the season.
Following the injuries and the lengthy recovery process ahead, the Guardians made the difficult decision to non-tender Brennan on November 21, 2025, making him a free agent. This marked the end of his tenure with the organization that had drafted and developed him since 2019. Despite the setbacks, Brennan was signed by the San Francisco Giants to a major league contract on February 15, 2026, indicating that teams still see value in his abilities and potential for recovery.