Josue De Paula
De Paula is a 6’3 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic. He is a center/left fielder who throws and bats left. A cousin to NBA players Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, De Paula was signed by the Dodgers out of El Niche Academy in the Dominican Republic on January 15, 2022.
De Paula began his professional career with the Dominican League Summer League in 2022, hitting .350 in 54 games with five homers and 30 RBI and earning a spot on the post-season all-star team. He was moved up to Single A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes right after his 18th birthday in May 2023. He played in 74 games for the Quakes, 468 AB, 55 R, 80 H, 2 HR, 40 RBI, 14 SB .284 AVG, .396 OBP, .849 OPS.
De Paula helped the Quakes get to the 2023 Triple-A championship series. The Quakes were down 4-0 in the second inning when De Paula blasted a two-run shot to give Rancho a lead that they never gave up. De Paula also hit a double in the third scoring one.
In his first year with the Quakes, De Paula demonstrated the ability to come to the plate in stressful situations and put the ball in play to help his team. I’m looking forward to seeing what he will do in 2024.
Bernie Williams vibes with Josue De Paula!
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) February 8, 2024
De Paula feels for the ball well with his hand path. That allows him to hit the ball where it's pitched & be good with bad timing. It's also, however, why, despite having good exit velos, he doesn't have high launch angles. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/za2YxBJcOi
As seen in the tweet above, DePaula has been compared to Bernie Williams because of his size, swing structure and the way he uses his hands when he hits is nearly identical.
For Dodgers Daily, I’m Mike Salas
