Juan Apodaca

Juan Carlos Apodaca

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• Born July 15, 1986 in Caracas, Venezuela

Minors BR page

Biographical Information

Originally a first baseman, Juan Apodaca was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers scout Camilo Pascual as a 16-year-old in 2003 and played two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, where he was converted to catcher. He hit .226/.287/.269 in 28 games for the DSL Dodgers East that year and went 4 for 11 for the DSL Dodgers North. In '04, he bounced between the DSL Dodgers 1 and DSL Dodgers 2, hitting a combined .272/.360/.347.

He came to the United States in 2005, splitting the season between the Ogden Raptors, where he hit .278/.345/.513 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs, and the Columbus Catfish. He also played two games with the AAA Las Vegas 51s. He led Ogden in home runs and was second on the club in slugging. He was presumably a strong candidate for Pioneer League All-Star catcher, but that honor went instead to Angel Salome.

He spent most of the next summer back with Columbus, batting .249/.336/.307 with 1 homer and 22 RBIs in 55 games, before being promoted to the Vero Beach Dodgers, where he hit .257/.341/.413 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI. After appearing in three games for the AA Jacksonville Suns in 2007 and going 0 for 8, he was sent down to the Great Lakes Loons for the remainder of the year. He hit .259/.323/.415 in 58 games for Great Lakes.

Following the 2007 campaign, Apodaca was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the AAA phase of the 2007 Rule V draft and then subsequently acquired by the Boston Red Sox in a trade for cash considerations. He began 2008 with the GCL Red Sox on a rehab recovery stint, appearing in two games and going 2 for 5 before being brought up to the Greenville Drive (.217/.345/.239 in 16 G) and eventually being promoted to the AA Portland Sea Dogs in August, where he was 5 for 18 with a walk. He spent the entire 2009 campaign back with the Sea Dogs, hitting .245/.317/.370 in 61 games and was their most-used backstop. (2010-2021 info in need of update)

Apodaca was bench coach for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2022 and Tulsa Drillers in 2023. He became a manager with the ACL Dodgers in 2024.