The Karachi Monarchs have officially announced their roster for the inaugural Baseball United season, set to begin this November.
The team features a mix of former minor leaguers and active independent league players, representing a diverse array of countries including the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, South Korea, and Pakistan.
One player to watch is former Boston Red Sox minor leaguer Karim Ayubi. Released on Aug. 1, Ayubi finished his stint with Single-A Salem on a high note, posting a career-best .952 OPS in his final month. The 22-year-old Willemstad native returned home to Curaçao and continued to impress in the local ‘AA’ league, where he posted a .907 OPS. With his young age and offensive upside, a strong showing in Dubai could help him land a contract in the U.S., Mexico, or an Asian professional league.
Another standout is Dylan Unsworth, a familiar name for international baseball fans. Unsworth represented South Africa at the 2025 World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Taiwan, where he threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings against Nicaragua in the opener—nearly leading South Africa to an upset. He also pitched eight shutout innings against New Zealand at the WBC qualifier in Australia. A true journeyman, Unsworth has competed in the Venezuelan Winter League, the Australian Baseball League, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Over the past two summers, he’s been a standout in Venezuela’s Liga Mayor de Béisbol Profesional, earning Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024 with a 2.66 ERA over 44 innings. This season, he followed that up with a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings. Though not a strikeout pitcher—just 28 strikeouts over 87 1/3 innings (including playoffs) in the past two seasons—his ability to limit damage makes him a valuable arm for the Monarchs.
The Monarchs also boast Juremi Profar, younger brother of longtime MLB player Jurickson Profar. Juremi spent seven seasons in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system (2013-19), and has since played in independent leagues, as well as in Italy, Curaçao, Colombia, and Mexico. Most recently, he represented the Netherlands at the 2025 European Championship, where he posted a .780 OPS and helped lead the team to victory over Italy in the final. He’s a strong candidate for the Netherlands’ WBC roster and should be a key contributor this season in Dubai.
The Baseball United season kicks off on November 14 and concludes on December 14, with all games played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. The season finale will mark the end of a historic first campaign for the league.
Karachi Monarchs Roster (by Birthplace)
Pitchers
RHP Dylan Unsworth (South Africa)
RHP Alex Dubord (United States)
RHP Scott Ellis (United States)
RHP Kolby Kiser (United States)
RHP Mark Simon (United States)
RHP Franklin van Gurp (Sint Maarten)
LHP Isaac Milburn (United States)
RHP Enrique Burgos (Panama)
RHP Kyeong-chun Chae (South Korea)
RHP Musharaf Khan (Pakistan)
LHP Muhammad Zohaib (Pakistan)
Infielders
IF Juremi Profar (Curaçao)
IF Pierce Khan (United States)
IF Pavin Parks (United States)
IF Isaac Núñez (United States)
IF Jake Pérez (Costa Rica)
IF Muhammad Hussain (Pakistan)
Outfielders
OF Mahki Backstrom (United States)
OF Max Jung-Goldberg (United States)
OF Karim Ayubi (Curaçao)
OF Eric Meza (Mexico)
Catchers
C Henderson Pérez (Venezuela)
C Rickardo Pérez (Venezuela)
