Why Josue De Paula May Not Be the Dodgers' Everyday Left Fielder in 2027

The rookie sensation might not get the defensive work he needs this offseason.

Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) sits in the duguout after losing in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Los Angeles Dodgers called upon the talents of 21-year-old Josue De Paula this past September, it was to fill the unimaginable void of Shohei Ohtani at the designated hitter spot.

Ohtani was producing far less in the batter's box compared to the first half of the season while dealing with multiple injuries, so a spark from a rookie that was raking in Double-A not only provided a jolt of offense into a sputtering lineup, but some momentum towards a postseason run just one month later.

De Paula made his MLB debut off the excitement of a Double-A season that consisted of a .303/.401/.547 slash line, 27 home runs and 104 RBIs in 501 at-bats.

Across 11 games at the MLB level, De Paula continued to sizzle, batting .323 with a 1.087 OPS, going 10-for-31 in the sample size. During the postseason, a time where hits from the Dodgers were few and far between, De Paula was used sparsely.

The reason for this was his lack of defensive ability and the team not wanting De Paula's first MLB innings as a defender being in the highest-leverage moments imaginable.

Since the outfield beyond the Double-A level is foreign to De Paula, the Dodgers would have loved to work with him to improve in the offseason. That won't be possible this winter, though.

Due to an impending lockout, any kind of contact between team and player while the new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out is not allowed. Thus, De Paula won't be able to work with the team to improve.

The Athletic's Katie Woo detailed via a Reddit forum how the 2027 offseason may throw a wrench in the Dodgers' plans for the 21-year-old.

"I don't want to minimize how much work De Paula put in this year to improve as an outfielder," Woo wrote. "I also want to stress how much work he still has to do to be a truly viable major-league outfielder. In a normal offseason, I'd be more encouraged that he could take significant steps forward. But once the CBA expires, the Dodgers are prohibited from working with him, and he is prohibited from working out at any team facility. That's going to present a major roadblock, no matter how committed De Paula is to improve.

"The bat plays, we all know that. The big question mark is how much JDP can improve without the guidance of the team this offseason, however long that may be."

Even though the Dodgers are trying to inject more youth into the roster, and even though there is immense uncertainty regarding left field, De Paula may not be the answer come Opening Day unless he's able to fix his defense on his own.

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