BASEBALL: Los Angeles Dodgers sign Ugandan teenager Ajoti

Allan Ajoti has put pen to paper at Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Club in the United States of America (USA) as a catcher.

Ajoti, 18, is the fourth Ugandan born player to play professionally for a Major League Baseball (MLB) organization.

The development comes after years of solidifying himself as a local standout at Allen VR Stanley Secondary School where he is currently in S.4 class.

“It feels nice to be signed to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Club” a teary stated during the special send-off party held at AVRS School in Mpigi on Monday, January 15, 2024.

“I will definitely continue to work hard because I know this is just the start of great things to come” he added, accompanied by the mother.

A resident of Lugazi Municipality, Ajoti hails from a typical sporting family where his brothers are all footballers.

He will now embark on a journey to represent Uganda against the world’s best.

For starters, Ajoti began playing baseball in 2017. Over the last 6 years he was able to develop the skills necessary for the professional ranks thanks to a full scholarship awarded to him by Uganda Little League Baseball.

Ajoti will report to the Dodgers’ Dominican Republic complex, Campo Las Palmas, in Santo Domingo to start his journey in professional baseball.

The Dominican Republic is the first step for Ajoti who will now compete to get promoted through six levels of Minor League Baseball, with the goal of playing in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It feels like every year we are announcing more exciting news out Mpigi, Uganda. Ajoti is not only a great player, but an even better person. He is proof that the sport of baseball is continuing to grow across Uganda and greater Africa. As hoped, Ajoti was inspired by Serunkuma and Male and we know he will continue to motivate the young players who will come after him. It is a very special day for Allan and all of Uganda baseball” – Will Nolden, Assistant Director, Africa Operations – Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ajoti will join the likes of Ben Serunkuma and Umar Male as the only three African born players in the Dodgers organization.

Serunkuma and Male have both found success with the Dodgers since signing in 2022. Serunkuma reached low-A (level 3) in 2023, while Male reached as high as AAA (level 5).

Meanwhile, fellow Allen VR Stanley Secondary School student-athlete, Joel Mukasa, received a scholarship to attend the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.