Josue De Paula was called up from Double-A last month and filled in as the Los Angeles Dodgers' designated hitter while Shohei Ohtani was out.
He quickly proved why he was the No. 4 prospect in baseball, posting a 1.081 OPS in 11 games. His defense is lackluster in left field and the Dodgers are not going to bench Ohtani at designated hitter, so putting him on the NLDS roster essentially puts him in a pinch-hitter role. The 21-year-old is ready for the task.
"I know I'm a great hitter. I'm an amazing hitter. Nothing's got to change, and it's more just thinking about my success. I'm ready for the moment," De Paula said to SportsNet LA.
De Paula has an amazing approach at the plate and drew 11 walks in his 11 big league games. He has only struck out in five of his 31 at-bats. He is a great left-handed bat for the Dodgers to have off the bench, but how he factors into the late-game defense will be something to keep an eye on.
The Dodgers could have had Dalton Rushing as a left-handed bat on the postseason roster, but Dave Roberts said the team decided to go with De Paula.
“What we saw was a really good idea of a strike zone, quality of contact, good heartbeat." Roberts told reporters before Saturday's game. "That translates into the postseason."