Los Angeles Dodgers No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula dipped his feet into MLB towards the end of the 2026 season, and impressed just about everyone with his performances over an 11-game span in the regular season.
He hit a home run and drove in seven runs, posting an OPS over 1.000 and an on-base percentage of .500. While his offensive abilities are irrefutable, just about everyone knows what the 21-year-old needs to improve if he wants to earn a spot as a starter in the Dodgers’ outfield: his defense.
“I think with [De Paula], we’ve talked through it and he’s fully aware of continuing to improve defensively,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We’ve all seen what he’s capable of in the box which is incredibly exciting. 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 get to that bar and gets to be an above average defender.
“We’re not looking just to be like, ‘Oh, De Paula got pretty good.’ I think his mindset, and our coaching staff and all of ours is to make him as good of a defensive outfielder as we can to be a full player because that’s what we expect of all of our guys that step on the field.”
How Has De Paula Responded to Criticisms of His Defense?
De Paula understands this criticism better than anyone, and is determined to prove his doubters wrong.
“We’re going to keep working at it and come back better,” said De Paula.
“…I know that’s a big area of improvement for me. I know I get 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.”
De Paula only got one opportunity in the outfield during his stint in MLB last season, recording a putout in his only opportunity to make a play across six innings. He also featured for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets in the outfield during the Triple-A postseason, and had a perfect fielding percentage through three games.
De Paula’s agent, Scott Boras, expects the young star to train with former Gold Glover Jackie Bradley Jr. in the offseason, as he looks to improve with the glove.
If De Paula manages to take a step forward defensively, he will be a key player for the Dodgers during the upcoming season.
