Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals Expectations for Josue De Paula Amid Historic Call-Up

The 21-year-old will get a chance to prove if the hype is real.

Detailed view of the jersey of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula (95) against Team Mexico during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 4, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the fourth inning of the 2025 Futures Game, Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula stood in the box against Chicago White Sox left-hander Noah Schultz. De Paula, a left-handed hitter, took a front-door slider for a ball. Schultz threw another; this one clipped the inside corner of the strike zone.

Schultz threw De Paula another slider. This time, the 20-year-old flashed not only his prodigious power, but his ability to adapt quickly. De Paula hit the pitch 416 feet to right-center field, a three-run home run. The National League immediately took a 3-2 lead they never relinquished. De Paula was named MVP of the game.

Josue De Paula three-run dinger!

108.5 mph off the bat for the @Dodgers' No. 1 prospect.

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/P7RekP7G4k pic.twitter.com/lqKMEJHAWo

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 12, 2025

If it wasn't already ticking, that moment started the clock until Friday, where De Paula has a locker in the visitor's clubhouse at loanDepot Park.

JDP will be wearing jersey #95 in his MLB Debut. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/7WU1nniug4

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 11, 2026

De Paula is arriving with the hype of a consensus Top-20 prospect and a two-time Futures Game participant. He is taking the place of the two-time defending National League MVP, Shohei Ohtani, on the Dodgers' active roster.

What does Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expect from De Paula?

“Our player development group is very confident in his ability to conduct an at-bat,” Roberts said on Wednesday. “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.”

Hello from Miami, where Josue De Paula is taking some early BP pic.twitter.com/Qqo6TFnqM3

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) September 11, 2026

De Paula was hitting .303/.401/.547 at Double-A Tulsa prior to his promotion. It's rare for the Dodgers to promote a top prospect directly from Double-A to the big leagues. They did so more than a decade ago with Yasiel Puig, but that was under a different general manager.

Puig immediately continued his torrid hitting in the majors, going 5-for-8 with two home runs in his first two games. Unlike Puig, whose speed and throwing arm made him a fearsome defensive presence, De Paula's outfield position is TBD.

De Paula has played 58 games in left field and 37 in right this season for the Drillers. He's made more errors (eight) than he has assists (six). He'll play a corner outfield position if he isn't the Dodgers' designated hitter. The likely question is whether he will supplant Kyle Tucker in right field, or bump Teoscar Hernández from left field to right, if he is asked to play the field.

"The weakest part of his game is his defense, as a lack of instincts leads to subpar reads, routes and range in left field, though he does feature average arm strength," wrote MLB.com's Jim Callis.

For most of this season, De Paula appeared to be looking at a 2027 debut. Now, even Roberts couldn't rule out the possibility that he could find his way onto the Dodgers' 2026 postseason roster.

“Well, anything’s possible, but I think the first part of it [is] there is a little bit of a runway now with Shohei on the IL, and we can get him some major league at-bats and see how that looks,” Roberts said.

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