The Twins selected Bruin Agbayani out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, in the sixth round with the No. 179 pick on Day 2 of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Twins’ mid-round 2025 MLB Draft pick, shortstop Bruin Agbayani, is the son of Mets folk hero Benny Agbayani
Bruin’s dad, Benny, was a 30th-round draft pick who spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues. He spent just three seasons with the New York Mets, but became known as a cult hero to fans.
Benny earned his cult hero status because he gave the Mets two of their most memorable hits in franchise history in 2000. He launched a walk-off home run in the 13th inning in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants, and the Mets won the series the next day. Then, in Game 3 of the World Series, he hit a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning against Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernandez, giving the Mets their only win of the series.
Benny made his MLB debut in 1998, only receiving 16 plate appearances that season. He managed to post a .888 OPS in 101 games in 1999 before posting 2.0 bWAR and an .868 OPS in 2000. Benny regressed in 2001, being worth -0.9 bWAR in 91 games, and found himself out of the league after spending time with the Rockies and Red Sox in 2002.
Who is Bruin Agbayani, the son of Mets hero Benny Agbayani?
Unlike his dad, Bruin, the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year, hits left-handed. Bruin, who is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, is known for his feel for hitting, with above-average bat speed and a knack for controlling the zone and finding the barrel. He has above-average speed and is aggressive on the basepaths. As far as scouting grades go, he has 50 ‘Hit’, 45 ‘Power’, 55 ‘Run’, 45 ‘Arm’ and 45 ‘Field.’
Last season, Bruin led his team to a 15-6 record and the Division I state championship. He slashed .365/.512/.730 with three homers, 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored. And although he wasn’t drafted as a pitcher, he posted a 1.35 ERA with three saves and 15 strikeouts in 10 ⅓ innings.