who will likely be All-Stars.
Inspiration.
The Diamondbacks, with their pick (#29), in an alternate universe might have drafted Wehiwa Aloy, who was born in Hawaii. Let’s look at four Hawaiian players who were drafted this year.
Aiva John Uakea Arquette.
The Marlins drafted him as the 7th overall pick in the draft.
In 2022, the Diamondbacks drafted him as the 528th pick. He chose to go to college. Their draft choice reflected great scouting by the Diamondbacks!
On 12 June, in Keith Law’s Mock draft, he was the first overall pick. That tells me he was in the top tier of available players.
He plays shortstop. He is big (6’5” and 220 pounds). He was a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for the best college shortstop. A comparable player in the Majors is Kris Bryant per Eli Sussman. In 2025, his Oregon State OPS was 1.115.
“I think I just love to play the game, you know? (Playing sports has) always been a passion, so to just continue on and play baseball further on was a goal of mine. I love to compete and (I love) winning. I think that’s the main thing, I’m a competitor.” — Aiva Arquette
Wehiwa Aloy.
The Orioles drafted him as the 31st overall pick in the draft.
On 12 June, in Keith Law’s Mock draft, he was the eleventh overall pick. That tells me that the Orioles drafted a better player than their slot. My view is he would have been a great choice for the Diamondbacks at 29th, but obviously they thought differently.
He plays shortstop. He is big (6’2” and 200 pounds), but not as big as Arquette. Like Arquette, he was a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for the best college shortstop. In 2025, his Arkansas OPS was 1.107.
In 2025, he won the Golden Spikes Award, which signifies the best amateur baseball player of the year. It is awarded based on athletic ability, sportsmanship, character and overall contribution to the sport. In 48 years, he is the third shortstop to win. The Diamondbacks traded for 2016 winner Kyle Lewis, who played 16 games for the Diamondbacks in 2023.
His father (Jamie) was drafted in 1999 (drafted #1426 overall by the Giants). Seeing his college stats in 2000, it appears he chose to stay in college.
“…Aloy has above-average pop for an up-the-middle player, with home run power to all fields but particularly to the pull side. The hit tool is a bit more of a question…” — Greg Walker
Bruin Agbayani.
The Twins drafted him as the 179th overall pick.
He plays shortstop. He has a medium build (6’2” and 175 pounds). He is three years younger than Arquette and Aloy. He played 10 games in the MLB Draft Summer League with an OPS of .710.
MLB Draft Summer League. The first-half of their season focuses on draft eligible players. The players receive money for meals and travel, in addition to small compensation. 185 MLB draft picks played in this league. In addition, 90 undrafted players eventually signed with a team. Source.
His father (Benny Agbayani), played 5 seasons in the Majors. Then he played 6 seasons in Japan. Source.
I purchased a used book, Big League Survivor, written in 2000 by Benny Agbayani. It was inspirational! My photo follows:
Photo by Makakilo showing Benny and Niela Agbayani on back cover of Big League Survivor.
“And the thing that helped me most back then was perseverance — staying focused on my goals through all the tough breaks and slumps and the injuries. I told myself I was a survivor, and that helped make it happen.” — Benny Agbayani, in his book Big League Survivor, written in 2000.
“He [my father] wants the best for me, and he knows I love baseball, too, and I just want to follow in his footsteps and become a big leaguer like him.” — Bruin Agbayani
Matt Miura.
The Cardinals drafted him as the 180th overall pick.
He plays outfield. He has a medium build (5’11” and 185 pounds). In 2025, his Hawaii OPS was .914. His 46 walks led the Big West League. He ranked 13th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Source.
“That’s one of the trademarks of Hawaii baseball, to see who’s tougher.” — Matt Miura
“Don’t be a muffin. It basically means don’t be soft. No matter what happens…bulldog your way through; be tough and be mentally strong…Don’t be weak about it no matter what happens.” — Matt Miura