Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Josue De Paula is getting called up to the major leagues to replace Shohei Ohtani, who is heading to the injured list.
De Paula, according to many scouts, has been regarded as the best-hitting prospect in terms of hitting tools since Corey Seager.
Even besides Seager, Cody Bellinger was another slugger called up over the last 10 years who made an immediate impact and quickly became an MVP candidate.
The Dodgers have a track record under Andrew Friedman of bringing up young talent successfully, and De Paula is right in line to be the next guy.
Why the Dodgers Believe De Paula’s Bat Will Translate
MLB.com ranks De Paula as No. 6 in the sport and the best outfield prospect currently in the major leagues.
This year, De Paula has been crushing the baseball, slashing .303/.401/.547 with 27 homers and 31 steals in 124 games.
Additionally, before his call-up, he totaled 152 hits, 274 total bases, 37 doubles, 106 runs, and 104 RBI — all of which led the Texas League, where Double-A Tulsa plays.
Digging deeper, the picture looks even rosier for De Paula. Even with all of the slugging that he has done, he is only striking out 14.8% of the time, with an amazing 13.8% walk rate, per FanGraphs.
He is doing all of this without a crazy high BABIP; it is only .321.
Despite only making the full-time Double-A jump this season, he has cut down his swinging strike rate from 8.1% to 6.6%, all while increasing his swing rate from 37.8% in total as a minor leaguer in 2025 to 45.8% now.
This year, even for a guy who had a good plate approach and swing mechanics, he has truly taken the next step.
De Paula started the spring with the big-league team and was already producing. He played 14 games and had 24 plate appearances, hitting .375/.464/.417.
Manager Dave Roberts explained how the organization sees his production at Double-A translating compared to holding him back and giving him time in Triple-A
“I think that our player development group is very confident in his ability to conduct an at-bat,” Roberts said.
“You could argue that the talent in Double A is similar to Triple A, as far as pure arms and arm talent. I think that we’ve seen him in camp for two or three years. He doesn’t run from velocity. He controls the strike zone. And I think this is just a good opportunity for him to kind of cut his teeth in the big leagues.”
Additionally, current Dodgers special assistant and former elite outfielder Jason Heyward praised De Paula after working with the prospect in Double-A.
“It’s definitely something that’s fun to watch,” Heyward told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
“It’s much easier said than done, what he’s able to do in the box, maintain his tempo. He goes at the pace he would like to go at, and that allows him to make good decisions, whether it’s chasing very rarely and on pitches that are in the zone, getting the kind of swing off that he wants to get off. That’s the name of the game.”
Where Josue De Paula Still Needs to Improve
On the basepaths, De Paula is not an elite threat. MLB and FanGraphs rate his speed potential at 40 on a scale of 20 to 80.
Additionally, his fielding has the same grade, meaning his potential is below average, but it is a tick or two below that for now.
He is 6 feet, 3 inches, so he could use his long levers to add some speed, and he showed a willingness to run on certain occasions.
The defense is the bigger concern. His consistency in making reads and taking the right path is all over the place, making him unreliable.
He has a strong arm, but it can only go so far. Luckily, he will be the designated hitter to start, according to Dave Roberts, but once Shohei Ohtani comes back, he will be fighting for playing time in the outfield, where defense matters.
With the added motivation of being in the majors, perhaps the help from Heyward is enough to make him passable, allowing his bat to do the talking.
However, as is the case with any young player, especially one who relies on feel at the batter’s box, it could take a bit for him to get a handle on the MLB strike zone and pitching styles.
But given his rapid rate of development, there is reason to believe he can catch on quickly, or at the very least, learn.
For the Dodgers, they will take learning, but LA could really use an offensive spark, and De Paula has the potential to do so and then some.
