The Los Angeles Dodgers farm systems has been one of the best in Major League Baseball under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, as it consistently has featured talent at all levels of the Minor Leagues.
Alongside the highly talked about prospects Dalton Rushing, Diego Cartaya, Nick Frasso and newly acquired Jackson Ferris, Josue De Paula is incrementally rising into an special tier.
Still just 18 years old, De Paula was signed out of the Dominican Republic early on in 2022, making his pro debut the following summer. De Paula batted .349/.448/.522 in his initial time in rookie level Dominican Summer League, with more positive results this past year for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
His upside is what intrigues evaluators the most, and De Paula’s left-handed bat is reported as the tool that could carry him to a very bright future, per Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com:
Some Dodgers officials say that De Paula is the best international hitter they’ve signed in the last decade.
De Paula batted .284/.396/.768 in 2023 with 14 stolen bases, and 40 RBI with a 118 wRC+ across 282 at-bats.
His plate discipline is another huge plus, tallying 46 walks in 74 games. The expected date for De Paula to make his MLB debut isn’t until perhaps the 2026 season, which leaves a lot of developmental time that could shift multiple aspects of his game.
Josue De Paula among Dodgers prospects ranked on Baseball Prospectus Top 101
As the top prospect in the Dodgers farm system, Rushing has climbed his way up the rankings within the past year. He headlines a group of four Dodgers prospects on Baseball Prospectus Top 101 list, though the crop is more spread out than in recent times.
Coming in at No. 36, Rushing is accompanied by De Paula (No. 48), Nick Frasso (No. 67) and Thayron Liranzo (No. 70) in the Baseball Prospects rankings.
Prior to being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Michael Busch led the Dodgers farm system and was featured on Baseball America’s top prospects.
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