By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

When Ken Griffey Jr. made his Major League Baseball debut, he became an overnight sensation simply known as “The Kid.”

He played with enthusiasm and flashed an infectious smile. He was a phenom at the plate with one of the sweetest swings the game has ever seen. He glided in the field defensively with unmatched athleticism.

He made the game look so easy.

He made the game look so fun.

In Garrettsville, Garfield baseball head coach Mike Paes has spent the last four years watching all of the same parallels with generational talent Brandyn Bogucki.

“From the first time I saw Brandyn in the batting cage, I knew the program had something special,” Paes said. “His swing was effortless, and he made contact more than anybody on the team, including the upperclassmen.

“When he was taking grounders, it was smooth and effortless as well,” Paes added. “Everything just looked like it came so easy to him, and I knew he would be vital to the future of the program.”

Paes was right.

And then some.

In Bogucki’s freshman season, he set the single-season school record for batting with a .548 average and led Portage County with 43 hits.

“The Kid” had arrived for the G-Men.

Now a senior, Bogucki’s career trajectory has continued to soar and it has placed him amongst the best in school history.

He enters 2026 with a career .456 average, 110 hits, 59 RBI, 111 runs scored, 102 stolen bases and 44 walks. He also has been part of 54 team wins.

The numbers speak for themselves, and loudly at that, and they need to in some ways because Bogucki approaches the game from a quiet and humble perspective.

“Brandyn is a kid who does not say much. He leads with his actions over his words and is an easy kid to follow because he always does the right thing,” said Paes, who was also quick to point out invaluable statistical categories that Bogucki easily rises to the top in.

“No one could ever question his heart, his effort and his love for the game — and that’s why he is the leader that he is,” Paes said.

Now in his 11th year leading the G-Men, Paes certainly has a creditable opinion, considering that he not only has taught Bogucki in class, but also coached him for four years as an offensive assistant on the Garfield football team, in addition to spending the spring with him on the baseball diamond.

“I think between my eighth grade year and freshman year, I spent practically the entire year with him,” Bogucki said. “He is the closest I have ever been with a coach, 100 percent,” Bogucki said. “He is a great coach, a great guy and a lot of fun to be around.”

That meant a lot of time to get to know each other and build a strong relationship that both are proud to share with each other.

“First and foremost, Brandyn is a great kid,” Paes said. “We have had many conversations throughout our four years and most of them actually don’t have to do with baseball. He is a quiet kid, but a kid who always does the right thing. In my classroom and with the teams I coach, I always stress three things: Show respect to all, give 100 percent effort and be a genuinely good person who makes good decisions. Brandyn does all of that all the time.”

Bogucki is a three-sport standout for the G-Men. In football, he has been an electric offensive threat and finished his career with 1,822 yards rushing and 635 yards receiving. In basketball, he showed the ability to score, but was a plus-defender with speed and intelligence. As much fun as he had playing on the gridiron and hardwood, it really has always been about baseball.

“When I was younger playing other sports, all I can really remember thinking was that it was cool, but when can I go play baseball,” Bogucki said.

The immediate answer to the question is today, when the G-Men host LaBrae.

Bogucki is ready.

He will be the one making the game look so easy.

He will be the one making the game look so fun.