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Within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, Josue De Paula has garnered significant support. The 21-year-old outfielder received his first major league call-up late in the 2026 regular season due to a wave of injuries, and he made the most of the opportunity.
Across 11 games, De Paula slashed .323 with a standout 1.081 OPS. His plate discipline was particularly noteworthy: he drew 11 walks against just five strikeouts, more than doubling his walk total compared to his strikeouts. Most importantly, he appeared entirely comfortable at the big-league level.
The Dodgers ultimately chose to include De Paula on their postseason roster over Dalton Rushing, his primary competition. In three playoff plate appearances, De Paula walked twice, displaying the patience and maturity of a seasoned veteran.
As the 2027 season approaches, a compelling case emerges for giving De Paula an extended runway to maximize his considerable potential. However, the current roster construction effectively blocks him at every turn.
Freddie Freeman is firmly entrenched at first base, and Shohei Ohtani occupies the designated hitter spot. Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker are not going anywhere, leaving left field as the only possible opening for De Paula. Yet Teoscar Hernandez remains under contract for another year.
If the Dodgers aim to get younger and fully unleash De Paula, Hernandez must be traded. While De Paula's defense is still a work in progress—few expect him to become a Gold Glove-caliber fielder—his bat has consistently done the talking at every level.
That bat is special. In Double-A this past season, De Paula ranked among the elite in several advanced analytics. He rarely swings and misses and squares up the baseball as well as anyone in his age group. The Dodgers are deep and talented enough to afford him the opportunity to play through mistakes.
De Paula is arguably the most gifted hitter in the minor leagues from the 2026 season. At some point, the Dodgers simply must see what they have in him. The organization has sometimes held onto highly-touted prospects for too long, diminishing both their trade value and overall development. It would make little sense to limit De Paula to a part-time reserve role.
If the star power is genuine, he has shown enough poise to warrant a chance to prove he can handle the rigors of major league pitching on a daily basis.