No homegrown Filipino has reached Major League Baseball.
Sure, there is Claudio Manela, a pitcher from Cavite whose Negro League stint with the Cincinnati Cuban Stars in the 1920s is now recognized as part of MLB history.
There is also Bobby Chouinard, who holds the distinction as the first player born in the Philippines to see action in the MLB since its racial integration in 1947 when he made his debut for the Oakland Athletics in 1996.
Several players of Filipino heritage have made it to the MLB as well, including current New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, three-time World Series champion and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, former Cincinnati Redlegs outfielder Bobby Balcena, former San Francisco Giants pitcher Geno Espineli, and former Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Aguila.
Aiden Lazaro, a 13-year-old standout from Ateneo high school, hopes to break new ground for the country.
