Dodgers History: Josue De Paula's 2027 RoY campaign would put him in legendary company

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have spoiled Josue De Paula's breakout game, but his monster home run against the Miami Marlins on Sunday sent a message: this kid may live up to his billing as LA's No. 1 prospect.

The Dodgers still have to figure out how they're going to fit him on the roster when Shohei Ohtani comes off the IL, but as long as his brief audition at the tail end of this season continues to go well, that should be a priority this offseason.

Maybe we're getting way ahead of ourselves here, but if the Dodgers figure out how to get him regular at-bats in 2027, we could be looking at the next in a long and storied line of Dodgers Rookie of the Year Award-winners.

The Dodgers have an MLB-leading 18, beginning, of course, with Jackie Robinson in 1947, the man the award is named after. Their latest winner was Cody Bellinger in 2017.

Sandwiched in between are franchise legends Jim Gilliam, Fernando Valenzuela, Eric Karros, and Hideo Nomo, just to name a few. De Paula could find himself in some very good company by the end of 2027.

Putting Josue De Paula's future Rookie of the Year campaign into context with other Dodgers greats

De Paula has been compared heavily to Yordan Alvarez, probably Andrew Friedman's greatest trade regret as the Dodgers' chief executive. Of the 12 position player Rookies of the Year the Dodgers have produced, none are quite the same archetype as Alvarez — David Ortiz, Kyle Schwarber-esque players who can flat-out hit.

But perhaps the most apt comparison is Mike Piazza, LA's winner in 1993. Piazza came into the league with far fewer expectations attached than De Paula, but both are defensively weaker position players with massive power potential and advanced plate discipline. De Paula has yet to strike out in the four games he's appeared in.

It would be unfair to expect the same kind of offensive production from De Paula that Piazza offered up in his rookie season, when he hit .318 with a .932 OPS, 35 homers, and 112 RBI to kick off what would become a Hall of Fame career.

But when the Dodgers, who are usually so enthused about their prospects, were all but champing at the bit to find him a place to play this season, that says a lot as to where they think his ceiling could be.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow