Josue De Paula

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #3 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High.
  
  Track Record: De Paula was raised in New York but moved to the Dominican Republic as a teenager, just a year before he signed with the Dodgers for a bonus of $397,500 in 2022. Since then, he’s done nothing but perform. After a stellar pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, De Paula was skipped over Rookie ball to join Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2023. He returned to the level to begin 2024 and was the sixth-youngest player in the California League on Opening Day. He split his season between both Class A levels and finished the year with a .404 on-base percentage, which led all Dodgers full-season minor leaguers.
  
  Scouting Report: De Paula’s approach is unparalleled within the Dodgers’ system and is one of the most advanced among his youthful peers. Among his system-mates with 400 or more plate appearances, his 16.2% chase rate was the lowest and his 105.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was the third highest, behind just Chris Newell and Dalton Rushing. Scouts praised De Paula for how long he kept his barrel in the zone, his all-fields approach and his fearless attitude against lefthanders. There’s little question about De Paula’s ability to hit. The bigger question is where he’ll land on the diamond. In spring training, the Dodgers enlisted veteran Jason Heyward to impress upon De Paula the importance of defense as part of a well-rounded skill set. He’s a fringe-average runner, and his average arm would fit in left field if he can stick at the position. Currently, evaluators give De Paula an outside chance to remain in the outfield, though they acknowledge a future at first base or DH might be in the cards.
  
  The Future: De Paula’s next step will be Double-A, where he’ll once again be one of the youngest players in the Texas League and will face his stiffest test yet.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 40 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #5 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: A cousin of former nBA players Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, De Paula was born and raised in New York but moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 15 to sign as an international free agent. The Dodgers signed him for $397,500 on the first day of the 2022 signing period. De Paula starred in the Dominican Summer League after signing and hit his way out of extended spring training to Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2023. He hit .284/.396/.372 as an 18-year-old and posted a .924 OPS in the playoffs to help the Quakes reach the California League championship series.
  
  Scouting Report: De Paula is a tall, 6-foot-3, projectable teenager with tantalizing offensive potential. He has a calm, patient approach and a picturesque lefthanded swing that leaves few holes for pitchers to attack. He has a unique ability to look over a baseball for his age and drives hittable pitches on a line with a balanced, efficient swing. He projects to be a plus hitter, if not more, and should grow into above-average power as he packs muscle onto his developing frame. De Paula is advanced in the batter’s box, but he has a long way to go defensively. He’s a fringe-average runner and timid right fielder and who takes poor routes and struggles to track fly balls. He is prone to overrunning grounders and whiffing on catchable balls in the air, especially on the move. He committed six errors in 87 chances in 2023 for a poor .931 fielding percentage. De Paula projects to be a well below-average defender even with improvement and will have to move to DH unless he can catch the ball more consistently.
  
  The Future: De Paula’s offensive potential gives him the chance to be an impact player even as a DH. He requires lots of projection and will need time to mature into his power.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 30 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #12 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A cousin of former NBA star Stephon Marbury, De Paula was born and raised in New York and moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 15 to sign as an international free agent. He signed with the Dodgers for $397,500 on the first day of the 2022 international signing period and quickly emerged as one of the organization's most exciting hitters in the lower levels. De Paula tore through the Dominican Summer League with a .350 batting average and 20 extra-base hits in only 53 games while posting more walks (32) than strikeouts (31) in his pro debut. He followed with an eye-opening performance in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: De Paula is a tall, projectable teenager with a gorgeous lefthanded swing. He is a calm, composed hitter who squares balls up with an efficient, balanced stroke that stays on plane through the hitting zone and hits balls hard no matter where they are pitched. He has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and consistently conducts high-quality at-bats. De Paula is still growing into his wiry body, but he has the frame to pack on muscle and grow into plus power at maturity on top of potential plus hitting ability. De Paula is coordinated in the batter's box but less so in the field. He's a below-average runner and middling athlete who relies on getting good reads to make plays in the outfield. He projects to be a corner outfielder and may have to move to first base as he gets bigger.
  
  The Future: De Paula has a chance to be an impactful offensive force but is many years away from that ceiling. He'll make his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #33 prospect in 2024

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A cousin of former NBA star Stephon Marbury, De Paula was born and raised in New York and moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 15 to sign as an international free agent. He signed with the Dodgers for $397,500 on the first day of the 2022 international signing period and quickly emerged as one of the organization's most exciting hitters in the lower levels. De Paula tore through the Dominican Summer League with a .350 batting average and 20 extra-base hits in only 53 games while posting more walks (32) than strikeouts (31) in his pro debut. He followed with an eye-opening performance in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: De Paula is a tall, projectable teenager with a gorgeous lefthanded swing. He is a calm, composed hitter who squares balls up with an efficient, balanced stroke that stays on plane through the hitting zone and hits balls hard no matter where they are pitched. He has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and consistently conducts high-quality at-bats. De Paula is still growing into his wiry body, but he has the frame to pack on muscle and grow into plus power at maturity on top of potential plus hitting ability. De Paula is coordinated in the batter's box but less so in the field. He's a below-average runner and middling athlete who relies on getting good reads to make plays in the outfield. He projects to be a corner outfielder and may have to move to first base as he gets bigger.
  
  The Future: De Paula has a chance to be an impactful offensive force but is many years away from that ceiling. He'll make his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A cousin of former NBA star Stephon Marbury, De Paula was born and raised in New York and moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 15 to sign as an international free agent. He signed with the Dodgers for $397,500 on the first day of the 2022 international signing period and quickly emerged as one of the organization's most exciting hitters in the lower levels. De Paula tore through the Dominican Summer League with a .350 batting average and 20 extra-base hits in only 53 games while posting more walks (32) than strikeouts (31) in his pro debut. He followed with an eye-opening performance in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: De Paula is a tall, projectable teenager with a gorgeous lefthanded swing. He is a calm, composed hitter who squares balls up with an efficient, balanced stroke that stays on plane through the hitting zone and hits balls hard no matter where they are pitched. He has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and consistently conducts high-quality at-bats. De Paula is still growing into his wiry body, but he has the frame to pack on muscle and grow into plus power at maturity on top of potential plus hitting ability. De Paula is coordinated in the batter's box but less so in the field. He's a below-average runner and middling athlete who relies on getting good reads to make plays in the outfield. He projects to be a corner outfielder and may have to move to first base as he gets bigger.
  
  The Future: De Paula has a chance to be an impactful offensive force but is many years away from that ceiling. He'll make his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.