Josue De Paula made his major-league debut Friday after the Los Angeles Dodgers promoted their top prospect.
Josue De Paula’s first major-league game did not go exactly as the highly touted prospect might have imagined, but the Los Angeles Dodgers saw enough from their newest young player to remain encouraged about what comes next.
De Paula made his major-league debut Friday night as the Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins, 6-2, at loanDepot park. The 21-year-old outfielder was promoted directly from Double-A Tulsa, becoming the first Dodgers position player since 2014 to make the jump from Double-A straight to the majors.
Although De Paula did not record his first major-league hit, his debut provided an early glimpse of the approach that helped make him one of baseball’s most highly regarded prospects.
He finished the night 0-for-3 with a walk. De Paula opened the game by flying out to right field before reaching base on a walk in his second plate appearance. He was later caught attempting to steal second base to end the fourth inning.
His final two at-bats resulted in a lineout and a groundout.
The results were secondary to the experience, however. De Paula had spent the season developing at Tulsa and suddenly found himself facing major-league pitching and playing alongside the Dodgers' established stars.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that he expected De Paula’s composed personality to help him handle the occasion. That confidence carried into the debut as De Paula showed patience at the plate and made some quality contact despite not getting a hit.
The promotion came after an impressive season at Double-A. De Paula hit .303 with a .401 on-base percentage and .547 slugging percentage across 124 games with Tulsa. He also hit 27 home runs and drove in 104 runs, establishing himself as one of the most productive young hitters in the Dodgers' system.
That performance ultimately forced the organization to give him an opportunity at the highest level earlier than expected.
De Paula was not even expecting the possibility of skipping Triple-A. Tulsa manager Eric Wedge informed him Wednesday that he would be traveling to join the Dodgers, leaving the young prospect stunned by the news.
Now, after finally stepping onto a major-league field, De Paula can turn his attention toward getting more comfortable at the level.
The Dodgers are expected to primarily use him as a designated hitter, giving De Paula opportunities to concentrate on his offensive development while adjusting to the pace and demands of the majors.
His first game was only one night, and the search for his first major-league hit will continue. But for De Paula, simply reaching the majors at 21 years old and doing so without stopping at Triple-A marked the beginning of what the Dodgers hope will become a long career in Los Angeles.
