Brett Gardner #11 of the New York Yankees after a game at Yankee Stadium on May 11, 2016 in New York City ; Brett Gardner with wife Jessica and their two sons Hunter and Miller. Photo:
Elsa/Getty ; New York Yankees/ X
Brett Gardner is a devoted husband and father.
The former New York Yankees player and his wife, Jessica Gardner, got married in 2007 and welcomed two sons: Miller and Hunter. On March 23, Brett and Jessica announced in a joint statement on X that Miller had died.
“With heavy hearts, we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller,” they wrote. “He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation.”
Brett played for the Yankees for 14 seasons before taking a step back in 2021. He and his family have since lived life out of the public eye in their home in South Carolina, where Brett grew up.
Here’s everything we know about Brett Gardner’s family, including his wife, Jessica, and two sons, Miller and Hunter.
Brett Gardner and wife Jessica attend the Derek Jeter 18th Annual Turn 2 Foundation dinner on June 1, 2014 in New York City. Paul Zimmerman/WireImage
Brett and Jessica got married in 2007, a year before Brett joined the Yankees in 2008.
Though the couple have kept the majority of their relationship private, Jessica has stepped out by Brett’s side for a number of events throughout his baseball career.
In June 2012, she joined him at the Victoria’s Secret PINK Event held at the MLB Fan Cave. A year later, the couple walked the red carpet again — this time with their two sons — at the CCandy Children’s Clothing Line Launch.
For Thanksgiving in 2016, Brett and Jessica showed their appreciation for the U.S. Air Force by hosting a luncheon for over 80 active duty members and their families.
That Christmas, the couple also pledged to donate more than 500 gifts to children in need.
“Something that’s very special not only to myself but to my wife, Jessica, and our family is children — children in need,” Brett told the MLB at the time.
Brett Gardner of the New York Yankees poses with his wife, Jessica, during the Victoria’s Secret PINK Event on June 20, 2012 in New York City. Paige Calamari/MLB via Getty
After the 2021 season, Brett admitted to reporters, per Post and Courier, that his future with the Yankees was up in the air as he weighed spending more time with his family and less on the pitch.
He explained that while he still loved the sport, it was hard knowing how much his family has “obviously sacrificed.”
“This game has been great to me and great to my family,” Brett said. “But the longer you play and the older your kids get, the harder it gets and the more things I miss out on — not being able to see them back home doing their thing.”
He added, “And obviously makes it harder to be together all the time and things like that.”
New York Yankee Brett Gardner, his wife Jessica and sons Miller and Hunter attend the CCandy Children’s Clothing Line Launch on August 8, 2013 in New York City. JP Yim/Getty
Brett ultimately did not return to the Yankees for the 2022 season and hasn’t played since, instead choosing to spend more time with his sons and wife.
The former baseball player also chose to forego attending the 2024 Yankee’s Old-Timers Day which celebrated the 2009 World Series winning team that Brett was a part of.
When asked why he wouldn’t be attending, Joe Bick, his longtime agent, told The Athletic, “All I know is his son’s got a football game on Friday night and he intends to be there.”
Brett and Jessica Gardner’s son Miller. New York Yankees/X
On March 21, 2025, Brett’s younger son, Miller, died after contracting an illness while on vacation with his family.
Brett and Jessica shared the news on X, writing, “We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st.”
“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile,” they continued. “He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
They added that they were “so thankful” to all who had reached out and were thinking of Miller’s teammates and friends “as well as to all other families who have lost a child far too soon as we share their grief.”
Shortly after Jessica and Brett shared the news, Brett’s former team put out a statement of their own on the team’s Instagram Stories, writing that the Yankees family’s “hearts are heavy” and “filled with grief.”
“Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss,” the statement continued. “It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years — so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.”
The Yankees added that they were grieving alongside Jessica, Brett and Hunter, describing Miller as having a “spark in his eyes, an outgoing and feisty personality, and a warm and loving nature.”
“Our love for the Gardner family is unconditional and absolute, and we will offer our enduring support while understanding their desire for privacy at this,” the Yankees added.
