MANILA — Thirteen-year-old Filipino baseball standout Aiden Lazaro has earned a coveted place in the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, becoming the first homegrown Filipino baseball player accepted into the academy’s elite long-term athlete development program.
The breakthrough places Lazaro on one of the world’s most respected athlete development pathways, with the young Filipino set to train under former Major League Baseball coaches and sports science specialists while continuing to represent Ateneo de Manila and the Philippines through a hybrid training setup.
Widely recognized as one of the world’s premier training institutions, IMG Academy has produced numerous professional stars, including Major League Baseball players James Wood and Chris Perez, 2026 MLB Draft sixth overall pick Zion Rose, and tennis greats Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova.
The Ateneo de Manila Junior High School student recently completed the first phase of his training at the academy’s sprawling 600-acre campus alongside his mother, Shelly.
During the program, Lazaro trained with former MLB coaches, professional players and talent evaluators under a personalized development plan.
He will also undergo advanced instruction at IMG’s Performance and Sports Science Center, focusing on strength and conditioning, speed, agility, mobility, injury prevention, recovery, nutrition and mental preparation.
“I’m excited to immerse myself in a new training environment and learn from everyone at IMG Academy who helped develop some of the top athletes and professional players. I look forward to bringing home everything I gain from this so I could contribute more to my teams in the Philippines,” Lazaro said.
“I’m very thankful to IMG Academy for welcoming me into its baseball and holistic athletic training program and for working closely with my mom over the past few months to help create exciting opportunities for my future. I’m humbled by this privilege and I’m ready to work hard to make the most of it.”
Lazaro’s journey mirrors that of Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala, who also left the country at age 13 to pursue world-class training abroad at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain before rising on the international stage.
Despite joining the Florida-based development program, Lazaro will continue his studies at Ateneo de Manila and remain eligible to compete for both his school and the Philippines.
Under the hybrid arrangement, he will split his time between Manila and Florida, receiving virtual coaching during the school year before returning to IMG Academy for in-person training during semestral breaks and holidays.
Lazaro has already compiled an impressive baseball résumé. A member of the Ateneo baseball program since kindergarten, he has captained several age-group teams and last school year became the youngest player—and the only Grade 7 student—to suit up for Ateneo’s UAAP Juniors baseball team.
He also helped the National Capital Region win the primary baseball title at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa and received the Most RBI award while representing the Philippines in the 2024 Asian Baseball Championship for the Under-12 national team in Japan.
Now entering Grade 8, Lazaro returns as captain of Ateneo’s Baseball Pony Division while continuing his long-term development with IMG Academy as he pursues his dream of one day playing in Major League Baseball./PN
