National junior team standout Aiden Lazaro of Ateneo is embarking on a long-term elite baseball development pathway with the renowned IMG Academy in his hope of becoming the next big thing in Philippine baseball.
If stars align, he stands a good chance of playing in America’s Major League Baseball.
Based in Bradenton, Florida, IMG Academy is one of the world’s leading sports training institutions, known for developing young athletes into elite competitors in their respective sports.
Remember tennis greats greats Serena and Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, and Maria Sharapova? They are among IMG’s notable alumni.
Interestingly, IMG Academy’s sister brand, IMG Tennis Management, represents Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala whose sporting journey mirrors that of Lazaro.
Both athletes began playing their respective sports at a young age before committing to elite international training at 13—Eala at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, and Lazaro at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Recruiting Lazaro to its vaunted sports program reflects IMG Academy’s confidence in his long-term potential, built on years of consistency and steady development in the local and regional circuit.
Together with his hands-on and devoted mom Shelly, Aiden recently spent considerable time at IMG’s 600-acre campus and sports facilities, where he undertook the first phase of his long-term holistic athletic development plans under former Major League and other professional league baseball coaches, players, and scouts.
The 13-year-old Aiden is also granted access to IMG’s Performance & Sports Science Center which oversees his strength and conditioning, speed and agility, mobility, injury prevention, recovery, sports science, as well as nutrition and mental performance.
“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,” said Lazaro.
“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 is the first-ever homegrown Filipino baseball talent to become part of the IMG Academy, marking a historic breakthrough not only in his own journey but also for Philippine baseball.
Lazaro is also a gold medalist in primary baseball with the National Capital Region at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa.
As a member of the Philippine U12 National Team in 2024, he captured the coveted Most RBI (runs batted in) Award at the Asian Baseball Championship in Japan.
