Josue De Paula may be on the fast track to a bigger role with the Dodgers, but the path to an everyday job in left field is still lined with questions.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com included De Paula as Los Angeles’ projected starting left fielder in her “way-too-early” look at the Dodgers’ 2027 roster, a notable vote of confidence for a player with just 11 regular-season MLB games on his résumé. Even in that short stretch, De Paula flashed the kind of bat that can force a conversation. He launched a monster home run against the Miami Marlins, drove in seven runs and finished with a 1.081 OPS and a .500 on-base percentage.
That brief regular-season showing was enough to earn him spots on both the NLDS and NLCS rosters. He appeared in four postseason games, came to the plate three times and drew one walk.
“The outfield is a chance for the Dodgers to mix things up, although their three starters in 2026 - Teoscar Hernández, Pages and Tucker - are all under contract in ’27,” Chen wrote. “De Paula, L.A.’s top prospect and No. 4 overall per MLB Pipeline, certainly looked the part of a big league hitter in 11 games in September. But his defense remains a big question mark.”
The offensive upside is obvious, and the Dodgers clearly know it. General manager Brandon Gomes said the club wants to see De Paula keep sharpening his glove work before anything is handed to him full time.
“I think with [De Paula], we’ve talked through it and he’s fully aware of continuing to improve defensively,” 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.”
There’s also the lineup fit to consider. De Paula would add another left-handed bat to a group that already includes Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker.
So while De Paula could absolutely get his chances, and maybe even start some games, it’s tough to picture him taking over left field for all 162 games. Dave Roberts has long leaned into matchups, and that makes a full-time handoff from Teoscar Hernandez feel unlikely for now.
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