As the Los Angeles Dodgers close in on the 2026 regular season and prepare to defend their World Series title, the club shared an important news item regarding the top prospect in the organization.
Josue de Paula has been removed from big-league camp, the Dodgers announced on Sunday, March 8. He’ll head to minor league camp with a handful of other interesting names, including former Washington Nationals reliever Jordan Weems and rotation candidate Ronan Kopp.
The decision removes any chance De Paula begins the campaign on the major league roster. He was a long shot to make the club, but his inclusion at big-league camp, followed by a strong spring performance, had opened the door to the possibility. De Paula hit .375 in 14 Spring Training games. He didn’t flash his power/speed combo at all, but got on base at a tremendous .464 clip.
Los Angeles Dodgers Send Josue De Paula to Minor League Camp
De Paula is the consensus top prospect in the Dodgers’ system. He’s reached No. 15 on MLB.com’s top 100 list. Los Angeles’ farm system is littered with outfield prospects. The organization’s top four players per MLB.com all play on the grass, with De Paula followed by Zyhir Hope, Eduardo Quintero, and Mike Sirota. James Tibbs III, acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for Dustin May last season, ranks just outside the top 10.
The 20-year-old De Paula has hit at every stop of his professional career. He first got on the radar of prospect hounds with a massive 158 wRC+ as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. De Paula slashed .268/.404/.405 in 107 games between Single-A and High-A in 2024. He walked nearly as often as he struck out, while slugging 10 home runs to go with 27 steals.
De Paula hasn’t shown huge over-the-fence pop in the minors, though FanGraphs did give him a 60 grade for future power. The speed and on-base skills have been the clear tools so far. De Paula delivered a walk rate of at least 13.5% in every level of the minors, prior to a tiny four-game stint at Double-A to close 2025. His OBP finished at .391 across 102 minor league games last season. He stole a career-high 32 bases at High-A.
Is There Room for De Paula in the Dodgers’ Outfield?
The Dodgers made yet another big splash this offseason by handing Kyle Tucker a hefty four-year, $240 million contract. The slugger can opt out after the 2027 season, which means he’ll be on the squad for at least the next two seasons. Los Angeles re-upped with Teoscar Hernandez on a three-year, $66 million agreement last offseason. The pact includes a $15 million club option for 2028, so he could be on the squad for three more campaigns.
Center field is the soft spot of the Dodgers’ roster. Andy Pages is an excellent defender, but his bat is a question mark. He was so bad at the plate in the postseason that he was benched, with Tommy Edman taking over in center field and Kike Hernandez in left field. The issue for De Paula is that he profiles as more of a corner outfielder. He doesn’t appear to have the defensive tools for center field. Unless he can take a step forward as a defender, De Paula may need to wait out Tucker and/or Hernandez to get a big-league shot.
Dodgers Give Notable Update on No. 1 Prospect