Is Josue De Paula the Dodgers’ Next Homegrown Superstar?

After evening the count at 2-2, De Paula got a 98 mph fastball and absolutely demolished it. The ball left his bat at 108.2 mph, sailing into the second deck in right field. He went on to record a wall-scraping double in his next at-bat, finishing his day 2-for-2 with a walk.

Already, Dodgers fans are enamored with the young phenom – and for valid reasons. De Paula has long been highly regarded, ranked the game’s #10 overall prospect by Just Baseball. Still only 21 years old, he was one of the best players in the minor leagues this year, and has now capped off a tremendous MLB debut.

Given the immense hype surrounding him, today we take a closer look at what makes De Paula special, his stellar debut, and what we can expect from him moving forward.

Hitting the Ground Running

De Paula has showcased tremendous potential since the very beginning of his professional career. 

At just 17 years old, De Paula hit .349/.448/.522 across 53 games in the DSL. He also recorded 16 stolen bases while walking (14.3%) more than he struck out (13.9%). His production leveled off a bit in Single-A ball throughout 2023 and much of 2024. Still, he managed a 117 wRC+ and 124 wRC+, respectively. 

However, De Paula took it up a notch following his promotion to High-A in 2024. Over 52 games, he hit .254/.422/.356 with a 137 wRC+, walking an absurd 21.7% of the time. 

De Paula continued to demonstrate his advanced on-base abilities in 2025 during an extended run in High-A. He hit .263/.406/.421 with 12 home runs and 32 stolen bases, showcasing his growing power potential. 

This year, De Paula put it all together in Double-A. Over 124 games, he slashed .303/.401/.547, hitting 27 home runs and stealing 31 bases along the way. He also collected 104 RBI, 66 total extra-base hits, and 81 walks (compared to 87 strikeouts). 

At this point, the tools were undeniable. Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman clearly felt so too. De Paula’s promotion marked the first time a Dodgers prospect had been promoted to the big league roster straight from Double-A in over a decade.

But what did Friedman see between the margins to warrant such high confidence in the young prospect?

Wise Beyond His Years

For one, De Paula’s style of play is conducive to a high-floor, high-ceiling slate of potential outcomes. 

His approach at the plate is incredibly mature for his age. In the minor leagues, De Paula has routinely posted relatively low swing percentages, high contact rates, and high walk rates. This approach had perhaps grown a bit too passive in his early professional years. As such, he made strides to be aggressive on pitches in the zone this year.

The results were staggering. De Paula brought his batting average above .300 for the first time since his age-17 season, and he was able to better tap into his growing power tool without sacrificing his prowess for getting on base. 

Often when discussing De Paula’s strengths, there is a strong chance you will hear praise for his maturity. This comes not just from his patient approach or pitch selection at the plate, but also his discipline outside the batter’s box.

Last week, it was reported that De Paula had identified his defense as an area of concern. He had seen discussions swirl around his ability to play the field, and knew his bat alone would not be enough to carry him to the heights he envisioned for his career. His response?

“I know I got a lot of hate on it. I’m that type: If I get hate on it, I’m going to focus on it more. So I’m gonna shut a lot of people up with my defense very soon.”

For some young players, knowing they have a glaring area of weakness within their skill set can add unwanted pressure – but not for De Paula. Instead, he seems to live for the big moments, unfazed by the stakes at hand.

More Than a Cup of Coffee

On September 23, De Paula was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Shohei Ohtani’s return from the injured list.

Many fans were disappointed given the electric run De Paula had been on. But, there is plenty to be excited about in what we saw from his short stint in the big leagues.

Over 11 games and 42 plate appearances, De Paula hit .323/.500/.581 with seven RBI, one home run, and one stolen base. He also walked an impressive 11 times (26.2%) while striking out just five times (11.9%). 

He also posted an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph with an 11.5% barrel rate, as well as a hard-hit percentage of 46.2%. De Paula managed these figures while chasing just 12.5% of the time and swinging on pitches in the zone 61.6% of the time. 

While it was definitely a small sample, De Paula’s ability to translate his pitch selection and plate discipline to the big leagues was still remarkable. It is not often you see a player jump from Double-A to MLB and stay so consistent. 

De Paula’s power will continue to grow as he matures, but it already looks impressive. The bat speed on his aforementioned first career home run was clocked at a whopping 85 mph.

There is still plenty of time for De Paula to develop into the superstar the Dodgers hope he will become. The Dodgers’ big league roster is loaded with talent. Because of this, it may take some time for him to become a mainstay in the lineup. However, I wouldn’t count him out for the season just yet.

De Paula was not yet a member of the 40-man roster on September 1. So, he technically would not be eligible for the postseason roster. However, teams can petition for an exception so long as the player was in the organization on August 31. De Paula would also have to replace a player on the injured list who was eligible for activation, of which the Dodgers have multiple.

Asked about this possibility, manager Dave Roberts cautioned that, “There’s just not a lot of at-bats to go around now that Shohei’s back… They’re hard to come by.” But, while chances may be slim, Roberts did not rule out the notion.

“He’s a part of the conversation, and he’s earned that.”