The Dodgers already know Josue De Paula can hit big league pitching. Now they’re trying to make sure he can handle everything else that comes with the job.
The 21-year-old prospect flashed exactly why he sits atop Los Angeles’ farm system late in the 2026 regular season, posting a 1.081 OPS across his first 31 MLB at-bats. He added a moonshot home run and drove in seven runs, giving the Dodgers a glimpse of what he can do at the plate right away.
What he hasn’t had yet is enough minor league runway to polish the rest of his game. De Paula jumped straight from Double-A to the majors on September 11, skipping Triple-A entirely, and that quick rise left his defense behind.
The bat arrived fast. The glove still needs work.
That’s where this offseason comes in. According to Dylan Hernández, De Paula will work with former MLB outfielder Alex Ochoa at Scott Boras’ training facility in Miami, and Boras also expects Jackie Bradley Jr. to be involved.
Ochoa brings plenty of outfield experience and a World Series ring with the Angels in 2002. He also runs Boras’ Miami facility, which was built to train Boras clients, including De Paula. Bradley Jr. adds a different kind of credibility: a Gold Glove center fielder in 2018 and the ALCS MVP for the Red Sox during their run to a World Series title.
For the Dodgers, the timing matters. They need to get younger and more athletic in 2027, and De Paula is part of that picture. His development could stretch through an offseason that may last longer than usual, depending on how labor negotiations shake out, but the work with Ochoa and Bradley Jr. gives him a chance to keep moving forward no matter what happens.
And there’s a clear path waiting if the defense catches up. Teoscar Hernández is under contract for one more season, but the Dodgers appear to be planning for what comes next, with De Paula positioned as the likely left field successor. If he can tighten up his glove, Los Angeles can move more confidently toward that transition.
An outfield built around De Paula, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker is the kind of future the Dodgers seem to be mapping out, even with Hernández still in the picture for now. De Paula’s debut was one of the brightest spots in an otherwise disappointing three-peat chase, and his next step could matter just as much.
If the defense comes along in 2027, it won’t just be good news for his development. It could shape the Dodgers’ chances of getting back to the World Series.
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