With Dalton Rushing's graduation from prospect status, outfielder Josue De Paula moved up into the Dodgers' No. 1 spot in the farm system. De Paula was signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 at just 18 years old and is currently in High-A, where he's batting .265 with a .834 OPS. He's earned frequent comparisons to all-time Dodgers trade regret Yordan Alvarez.
He, along with new No. 2 prospect Zyhir Hope, represented the Dodgers in the All-Star Futures Game last Saturday and competed alongside No. 3 overall prospect Leo De Vries (Padres), No. 8 Jesús Made (Brewers), No. 19 JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals), and No. 23 Charlie Condon (Rockies).
De Paula slotted in at seventh in the lineup, below all of the aforementioned top prospects, and only got two at-bats, but he made the second one count. With the American League leading 2-0 thanks to an RBI groundout for White Sox left fielder Braden Montgomery and sac fly for Rangers third baseman Sebastian Walcott, De Paula came up in the bottom of the fourth to drive a scorcher to center field.
He also scored teammate Hope and Made to put the National League up by a run. Cubs right fielder Owen Caissie followed in the same inning to drive in another, while the NL's bullpen stifled the AL through the rest of the afternoon. For his heroics, De Paula was named the game's MVP.
Josue De Paula (@Dodgers No. 1 prospect) demolishes this ball and gives the NL the lead! 💥 pic.twitter.com/lXyNZiZW8G
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 12, 2025
Dodgers' No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula wins All-Star Futures Game MVP for game-winning three-run homer
De Paula debuted in the Dodgers' top 30 in 2023 at No. 12 and was rated highest for his hit and power, with less favorable reviews for his speed and fielding that persisted even when he shot to No. 4 in 2024. This season, the grade for his power increased from 55 to 60, giving him by far the most promising hitting numbers of anyone in the Dodgers' minor league system. He leapfrogged Hope and shortstop Alex Freeland on the leaderboards just this season.
MLB Pipeline notes that the Dodgers are "challenging [De Paula] to improve defensively," which could be a deciding factor for his future with the team. Although he's still a few years from the majors, the Dodgers won't need a DH until 2034, while the outfield could be much easier to compete for.
De Paula still has a long way to go, but he justified his new No. 1 designation in a hurry and got to add some new hardware to his trophy case.