U-18 BWC alum Tom Apfelbaum signs with Los Angeles Dodgers
Southpaw Tom Apfelbaum has signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers organisation. The 17-year-old is joining the reigning MLB World Series Champion from the Cologne Cardinals of the German Baseball League.
Apfelbaum, whose father Georg Apfelbaum is a renowned baseball coach and teacher and the former chairman of the European Baseball Coaches Association, played for Germany in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 in Japan. He appeared in three games against Australia, Chinese Taipei and South Africa, allowing a combined four hits, six runs (4 ER) and six walks, while striking out seven.
With the German youth baseball national teams, he also appeared in a couple U-15 Baseball European Championships. With his hometown Cardinals team, he won the U-18 German Championship in 2025. He got signed by Tenerife based Dodgers scout Nestor Perez with crosschecker Franco Frias also present for the signing.
Apfelbaum will start his professional career this year in the Dominican Summer League, hoping to fulfill his dream of becoming a big leaguer.