When Benny Agbayani Jr. and his wife, Niela, were deciding on a name for their first and only son, Benny the third was not an option.
Benny and Niela wanted their boy to find his own niche and not be constantly compared to Benny Agbayani, New York Mets folk hero of the late 1990s and early aughts. Thus, Bruin Agbayani was born, free to carve his own path in the world.
Seventeen years later, Bruin Agbayani has blossomed into one of the country's top prep baseball players. Last fall, he signed with the University of Michigan. Come July, he may decide to skip college and start his professional career following the MLB Draft. But for now, he's currently a senior shortstop and pitcher for Saint Louis, where his father is the head coach.
Benny Agbayani was named the head baseball coach at Saint Louis prior to the 2024 season, while Bruin Agbayani enrolled in the fall. Benny previously coached Bruin during his days playing Pinto League 10U ball. The 2025 season will be their first and only season as a father-son/player-coach duo at the high school level.
"I think it's a blessing," Benny Agbayani told Aloha State Daily. "I never thought I was going to coach him in high school. I ended up getting the job last year. It was an opportunity where he could come to the school and just graduate from here like me, my brother and my grandpa. We all graduated from here to keep the legacy going. Him being the last grandchild, it's pretty awesome."
Bruin Agbayani began his high school career at ‘Iolani, the same school where Benny coached the softball team to an HHSAA title in 2019. Bruin's sisters, Aleia and Ailana, were both star players for the Raiders during their state title run.
"I always wanted to play for my dad," Bruin Agbayani said. "Just seeing my sisters play under him, it made me want to play under him. I always got jealous of them because they always got to play under my dad, and I know he's a good coach. Having a dad by your side too as your coach, it's a big thing and it's a blessing."
When Benny Agbayani was named the baseball coach at his alma mater, Bruin was not enrolled at Saint Louis yet. Were he to do so, he would have been required to sit out his junior season due to ILH transfer rules.
With hopes of playing for Saint Louis as a senior without losing a season of high school baseball, Bruin Agbayani played his junior year at Page High School in Greensboro, N.C. Bruin moved to North Carolina by himself, staying with the parents of Page's head coach, Justin Smith, who also coached Bruin during his days with Wow Factor, a national club team and baseball academy.
At Page, Bruin Agbayani hit .472 with three home runs while leading the league in stolen bases. He got to play in front of a different region of scouts, showing his skills travel well.
"For him being away, I know he got a little homesick, but he did good," Benny said of Bruin. "We were pretty impressed, me and my wife, that the decision we made kind of paid off for him. He came back, he grew up. This opportunity came (at Saint Louis), and now he's with me."
"Everything went good up there," Bruin added. "Got a good experience on what the East Coast is all about. The talent up there is pretty good, and I got to face very good competition. ... A lot of hard pitching. It gets chirpy up there. You got to kind of block out the noise."
Bruin Agbayani was previously committed to the University of South Carolina on a baseball scholarship, but after the school parted ways with head coach Mark Kingston, he decided to reopen his recruitment. He chose the University of Michigan, citing his relationship with head coach Tracy Smith and assistant head coach Jake Valentine, a Hawai‘i Pacific alumnus.
"I think the development, going to school, it's a pretty good school academically. We always told Bruin if baseball doesn't work out, at least you can get your education," Benny Agbayani said.
The way Bruin Agbayani's pro stock is trending, school may be in the rearview mirror soon.
Multiple scouts consider Bruin Agbayani to be the top high school prospect in Hawai‘i for the Class of 2025. Muscular and 6-foot-2, he carries a prodigious left-handed bat that has been on full display during head-turning performances at Mainland showcases and tournaments.
At January's 2025 18U PG West MLK Championship in Mesa, Ariz., he hit four home runs in a doubleheader swinging a wooden bat, including three in a single game. He also earned an exclusive invite to Prep Baseball Report's 2025 Super 60 in Chicago, performing in front of hundreds of MLB scouts.
The season is young for Saint Louis, which is currently 1-1 after falling to Pac-Five in its opener but closed out opening week with an 11-5 win over Maryknoll. The ILH boasts a wealth of talent across multiple schools, with Bruin Agbayani likely at the forefront of each scouting report.
"I'm just playing my game, knowing what I'm capable of and just working day in and day out, just trying to become the best player I can be and not comparing myself to anybody else, not worrying about any draft stuff, just playing my game and focusing on the season and winning it all for this team and bringing bringing one back for Saint Louis," Bruin Agbayani said of his approach to the months ahead.
In Benny Agbayani's first season as the head coach at Saint Louis, the Crusaders went all the way to the state semifinals before losing 1-0 to Maui in a nail-biter.
"We really do want to get back to that spot, but we just got to take care of the ILH season for us to get to that spot," Benny Agbayani said. "Like I always preach to the kids, it's always one game at a time. If it happens, it happens, but every game feels like it's a championship game in the ILH. It's a battle between all the schools."
Bruin Agbayani may not be old enough to remember his father's days as a ballplayer, but he gets reminded of it constantly.
"Oh, a lot of times. Every time he brings us up to New York, all the fans remember him and what he did back then. It's pretty cool experience having a dad like that," he said. "But, yeah, just trying to make my name for myself and hopefully make it to the big stage like he did."
Just as influential on Bruin were his mother, as well as his sisters, who are both still playing big-time softball. Aleia is currently a senior at BYU after beginning her career at Cal. Meanwhile, Ailana began her career at BYU and is currently a junior at four-time defending national champion Oklahoma, starting every game for the 26-0 Sooners so far in 2025.
"You got to grind, and you have to have love for the game," Bruin said when asked what he learned from his sisters. "They set high expectations for me, just both of them winning Gatorade Player of the Year (in Hawai‘i) their senior year. That's a hard thing to follow for me, but I'm going to give it my best this season."
Whether it's at Michigan or in the minor leagues, Bruin Agbayani is set to leave home once again in the summer to spread his wings on the diamond. His father's reputation will precede him, but he'll try to set his own mark on the sport. It'll all go according to the way his parents planned it.
"(Bruin) always asked me why didn't I name him Benny the third and I said it's because me and my wife, we wanted to give you a name that's going to give you your own ID," Benny Agbayani said. "I don't want him to just feel that he had to follow in my footsteps. I want him to make his own footsteps and become the player he can be and just watch him grow. He's become a better player than I was at that age.
"I'm kind of jealous, because at that age, I wish I was that good. But he has the resources and everything with his mom pushing him, not just me, his sisters. Everything is in his hands. He'll set his future by himself. And like I always told him, to reach the top, there's gonna be a lot of sacrifices. There's things you need to do on your own to get where you want to go."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
