Mid East Falcons

Mid East Falcons
Information
League	Baseball United
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Ballpark	The Sevens Stadium
Established	2023
Colors	Aquamarine, teal, black and white
General manager	Nick Swisher
Manager	Dennis Cook

The Mid East Falcons are a professional baseball team based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They are one of four inaugural franchises of Baseball United, a professional baseball organization with teams based in the Middle East and South Asia. ^[1]

Established as the Abu Dhabi Falcons, the team rebranded to its current name in March 2024, after Baseball United held its first "all-star" exhibition series. ^[2] The Falcons debuted in Baseball United's UAE Series, an exhibition tournament held in February 2025; the team lost all three games in the series to the Arabia Wolves. ^[3]

Two of the roster spots on the team's inaugural season were selected through a Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) reality show called Tryout: Plan D. The two winning players will be officially unveiled as members of the Mid East Falcons before their game against the Karachi Monarchs on November 19, 2025. ^[4] In its inaugural season, the team will also include two active players from the Yokohama DeNA BayStars organization of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing developmental winter ball in Dubai. ^[5]

Draft

The first Baseball United Draft took place on October 23, 2023, with all four franchises making selections. The Abu Dhabi Falcons used its 4th and 5th overall selections in the first round to pick former Major League Baseball infielders Pablo Sandoval and Alex Liddi. ^{[6] [7]}

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	4	Pablo Sandoval	Infielder
1	5	Alex Liddi	Infielder
2	11	Dillon Thomas	Outfielder
2	14	André Rienzo	Pitcher
3	18	Gabriel Guerrero	Outfielder
3	23	Alejandro De Aza	Outfielder
4	25	Konsta Kurikka	Pitcher
4	32	J. D. Hammer	Pitcher
5	36	Severino González	Pitcher
5	37	Rusney Castillo	Outfielder
6	43	Mitch Lively	Pitcher
6	46	Jhoan Urena	Infielder
7	50	Sam Abbott	First baseman / designated hitter
7	55	Alberto Mineo	Catcher
8	57	Mitch Piatnik	Second baseman
8	64	Leo Backstrom	Catcher / first baseman
9	68	Shungo Fukunaga	Pitcher
9	69	Luke Westphal	Pitcher
10	75	Matt Soren	Pitcher
10	78	Federico Celli	Catcher

Roster

Mid East Falcons roster – 2025 Baseball United season
Players				Coaches
Pitchers Severino González Konsta Kurikka Shingo Hirata Kodai Hamaya Yunis Halim Steven Mufareh Shōtarō Kasahara Kazuki Yabuta Haru Yoshioka Shuto Sakurai		Catchers Shotaro Usui David Mendham Infielders Gregori Cano Munenori Kawasaki Hiroyuki Nakajima Manato Tanai Pedro Agustin Figueras Outfielders Shuhei Fukuda Federico Celli Alejandro De Aza Jake Hjelle		Manager Dennis Cook Coaches Rubén Rivera (bases) Les Lancaster (pitching) José Alvarez (bases) Steve Fish(bullpen) Roster updated on 8 September 2025

References

1. "Home | Baseball United". BaseballUnited.com. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
2. "Baseball United Expands Reach of its Middle East Franchises". Baseball United. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
3. "'Couldn't have scripted it better' — Baseball United chief's pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing". Arab News. 18 February 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
4. "Baseball United teams up with TBS for new reality series 'TRYOUT: PLAN D'". Sports Mint Media. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
5. "The Mid East Falcons Announce Inaugural Roster for 2025 Baseball United Season". World Baseball Network. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
6. "Robinson Cano, Pablo Sandoval, and more former MLB stars join budding new baseball league". USA TODAY. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
7. "Baseball United Holds First-Ever Draft; Four Teams Make Selections For 2024 Season". World Baseball Network. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2025.