Scout's Josue De Paula assessment will excite Dodgers fans

The Los Angeles Dodgers might have their next homegrown superstar in outfielder Josue De Paula. That's at least according to one National League scout who spoke with FanSided.

"JDP is the most polished young hitter I have seen in my 17 years of professional baseball," the scout said. "He is never rushed, immensely confident, and has been incredibly consistent since entering pro ball."

De Paula has done nothing but produce in the minor leagues since signing with the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2022. This season, he slashed .303/.401/.547 with a .948 OPS, 27 homers, 104 RBI and 31 stolen bases in 124 games in Double-A. As a result, he replaced Shohei Ohtani, who went on the IL with knee and biceps injuries, on the Dodgers' roster this month.

De Paula, 21, was called up to make his MLB debut on September 11. He proceeded to crush a moonshot of a three-run home run two days later for his first career big league hit. The future is certainly bright for the left-handed hitter. De Paula is the Dodgers' No. 1 ranked prospect and No. 4 in all of baseball, per Baseball America.

Dodgers rookie Josue De Paula was compared to MLB legend Manny Ramirez

The same scout told FanSided that De Paula's natural hitting skills compare to a former Dodger and legendary slugger.

"The only fair comparison to the ease in which hitting comes to (De Paula) is Manny Ramirez," the scout said. "He was born to hit and has done nothing but refine his gift the last four-plus years."

This is good company to be in. Ramirez was a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner across 18-years in the big leagues. He led the American League in RBI (1999), won a batting title (2002) and led the AL in home runs (2004). Ramirez was also a two-time World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox and won World Series MVP in 2004. Ramirez would be in the Hall of Fame if not for his ties to performance-enhancing drugs.

If De Paula can have similar results in the majors as Ramirez, the youngster will be in pretty good shape, and so will the Dodgers. Los Angeles has center fielder Andy Pages under control through 2030, left fielder Teoscar Hernandez is entering the final year of his deal in 2027, and Kyle Tucker is in year-one of a four-year, $240 million deal that has opt outs after 2027 and 2028. Luckily, De Paula is expected to be a future core piece of the Dodgers' outfield for many years to come.

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