The Los Angeles Dodgers are the team everyone is watching as the regular season ends, and Josue De Paula is suddenly part of the conversation about their October plans. The reason people are searching for “josue de paula” today is simple: the 21-year-old rookie is performing well enough that the team’s manager is talking about him in terms of a postseason roster spot, even though he has less than a month of big-league experience.
Who Josue De Paula Is
De Paula is a young hitter who came up from the minors after a strong season in Double-A. He slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs in Double-A play, and he was called up to the majors without spending time in Triple-A first. His exit velocity at the MLB level sits at 92.6 mph.
He got off to a slow start, going hitless in the first two games of his career. But last Sunday, he earned his first hit with a towering home run in the fourth inning. Across seven games so far, he is 3-for-18 (.167) with one home run, four RBIs, seven walks and an OPS of .789.
Why the Search Broke Through Today
The search term “josue de paula” is among the top rising searches in the United States today, according to Google Trends. The reason is the timing: the Dodgers are entering a stretch where their October roster will be decided, and De Paula’s recent performance has put him in the mix for consideration.
The catalyst was manager Dave Roberts, who spoke directly about whether De Paula should be under consideration for a postseason spot. “Yeah, he should be [under consideration],” Roberts said. “This is more of a trial run, no promises. Just obviously having Shohei down and giving a guy that’s performed well an opportunity. Then you just sort of see where it takes us.”
Roberts added that the fact people are even asking about De Paula on the postseason roster is a sign of how quickly he has developed. “It’s been good that you can even bring that question up,” Roberts said. “But it’s still very early as far as however many at-bats or plate appearances he has taken. But in this small sample, yeah, it’s been good. But it’s certainly a much different level of focus with the postseason. But baseball is still baseball. I hope he makes our decision hard.”
The Situation Around the Team
The Dodgers are trying to win three consecutive championships for the first time in MLB in a quarter-century. Their star player, Shohei Ohtani, has been sidelined since the All-Star break, when he was scratched from his final start and from all All-Star-related activities. After being shut down from pitching in early July, Ohtani struggled in August, hitting just .241 for the month.
When Ohtani was placed on the injured list, De Paula appeared to be the answer for the lack of Ohtani in the lineup. His offense has the potential to start filling the enormous Ohtani-sized shoes. The rookie’s offensive numbers have been solid in a small sample, and his power profile from Double-A suggests he could be a factor in the playoffs if he keeps performing.
Roberts made it clear that nothing is guaranteed. “I think right now that’s kind of where we’re at and take it day to day,” he said. “I just hope he continues to perform and take those at-bats and then we’ll kind of see where we’re at in September.”
For now, the search volume shows what the Dodgers have in front of them: a young player who is proving himself at the highest level faster than anyone expected. Whether he stays on the postseason roster depends on how he performs over the next few weeks, and the team will watch closely.
Source material: “Dave Roberts Addresses Josue De Paula's Spot on Dodgers Postseason Roster,” Yahoo Sports.
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