The Mumbai Cobras have made history with the landmark signings of Filipino baseball players Lord Aragorn De Vera and Efril Ian Mercado, marking a monumental moment for both Philippine baseball and the growing Baseball United league.
When they take the field this November, De Vera and Mercado will become the first players born and raised in the Philippines to play professional baseball in 100 years.
To date, the only other player with that distinction is Claudio Manela, who debuted in 1921 for the Cuban Stars, who played at Redland Field in Cincinnati, in the first Negro National League. Manela posted a respectable 4.00 ERA during his time on the mound and was notably the only member of the roster not born in Cuba. He later played a season of minor league ball in 1922, followed by one final professional stint in 1925 with the Cuban East Stars in the Eastern Colored League.
Now, exactly a century later, De Vera and Mercado are set to follow in Manela’s footsteps—breaking new ground not only for themselves, but for the future of Filipino baseball.
Shortstop Lord Aragorn De Vera has been a standout at De La Salle University in Manila, helping guide the Green Batters to a championship in 2023, followed by back-to-back finals appearances in 2024 and 2025 as their starting shortstop.
Last year, he represented the Philippines at the 2024 East Asia Cup, where he posted a 1.101 OPS and drove in six runs. His performance during the collegiate season prior to this caught the attention of scouts overseas, and in the summer of 2024, he was invited for a workout with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Now, with his signing to Baseball United, De Vera is set to begin his professional career in earnest.
Joining De Vera on the Cobras’ roster is outfielder Efril Ian Mercado, a standout from the University of the Philippines and one of the country’s premier collegiate talents. Mercado earned the Best Hitter award in the UAAP the last two years in the Philippines’ top collegiate league, and has consistently been a force at the plate.
He, too, represented the Philippines at the 2024 East Asian Cup, recording a .652 OPS.
Both De Vera and Mercado are currently slated to represent the Philippines at the upcoming Asian Baseball Championship, which will be held in China from September 22–29. The national team will compete in group play against Japan, China, and Pakistan, with hopes of a top 4 finish in the tournament.
Baseball United is preparing for its inaugural season. The league’s first pitch is scheduled for November 14, with the Championship Series Final set for December 14.
A hundred years after Claudio Manela’s trailblazing debut, two new Filipino talents will to write a new chapter for Filipino baseball and try and put The Philippines on the baseball map with a strong performance in Dubai.
Photo: Lord Aragorn De Vera and Efril Ian Mercado smile after signing with the Mumbai Cobras.
