Dodgers Expect Josue De Paula To Improve Outfield Defense

Josue De Paula’s importance to the Los Angeles Dodgers cannot be overstated heading into the 2027 season.

Although it may sound a bit hyperbolic, De Paula is the best option in the organization who projects to provide an immediate impact next season while also serving as the foundation for a much-needed youth movement.

The 21-year-old presents the Dodgers with an opportunity to address multiple areas in on fell swoop by possibly upgrading in left field and infusing a youthfulness onto the team.

But for that scenario to have the best possible outcome, De Paula will have to improve his outfield defense.

“We’ve all seen what he’s capable of in the box, which is incredibly exciting,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “With that being said, we have a very talented core group already here, so I think it’s finding those opportunities but also making sure that throughout this offseason and coming into Spring Training that he continues to improve and gets to that bar and gets to be an above-average defender.

“We’re not looking just to be like, ‘Oh, well, De Po got pretty good.’ I think his mindset and our coaching staff and all of us is to make him as good of a defensive outfielder as he can to be a full player. Because that’s what we expect of all of our guys that step on the field.”

In 2,888 career Minor League innings, De Paula has a .954 fielding percentage as a corner outfielder. That includes eight errors between left and right field last season while playing for Double-A Tulsa.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is encouraged by how De Paula grew defensively from 2025 to 2026. He projects a similar level of progression heading into 2027 as reason for optimism.

“I think the improvement he showed from ’25 to ’26, I think that gets lost a bit. He showed marked improvement from ’25 to ’26. And for us, it was about you know the added benefit of him coming up in September, being on our playoff roster, being around,” Friedman said.

“I think him coming up, the way our guys welcomed him in the clubhouse, him being around our players and seeing how they prepare and what they do before a game, I think really landed with him in a way that words from us or our Minor League staff couldn’t have accomplished in the same way.

“So him being able to see that, the challenge that we will lay out to him, but the growth from ’25 to ’26 was real. And now we’re looking for real growth from ’26 to ’27, and then the sky’s the limit.”

The extent of De Paula’s defensive improvements and the specific areas in which he has progressed are not clear, as advanced defensive data for the Minors is not publicly available.

De Paula focused on improving his defense during his first stint in the Major Leagues, saying he wants to put an end to discussions about his defensive shortcomings.

Juan Soto praises Josue De Paula

The 21-year-old drew comparisons to New York Mets slugger Juan Soto for his keen eye, and during a game against the Cincinnati Reds, he did his own version of the “Soto shuffle” and correctly predicted that a pitch would be called a ball.

Soto watched the video and praised De Paula as a “special” player.