What the Dodgers are getting in top prospect Josue De Paula: Complete hitter

The Dodgers didn’t need any more affirmation of Josue De Paula’s talent and potential.But on Wednesday afternoon, the 21-year-old mega-prospect provided some anyway.In his latest standout game with double-A Tulsa, De Paula delivered the kind of tour-de-force performance that has become commonplace for him this season, as he has established himself as the best player in the Dodgers’ farm system and a top-10 overall prospect in the sport. He hit a solo home run in the first inning, pulling a hanging 0-2 pitch deep to right field for his 27th blast this season.He followed that with an RBI double in the seventh, muscling an opposite-field drive that smacked off the wall in the left-center field gap.

Then, in the ninth, he drew a bases-loaded walk on five pitches, matching his earlier display of power with a disciplined approach in the box. The two-hit, three-RBI, seven-base showcase felt almost routine.All year, De Paula has been exhibiting such all-around offensive dominance.“He’s starting to round out as a complete hitter,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said last week.Which is why, come Friday night, De Paula will be able to describe himself as a big-league hitter for the first time, too.Shortly after Wednesday’s game with the team’s double-A affiliate, De Paula learned he was getting promoted –– not to triple-A, but straight to the majors, where he will make his MLB debut with the Dodgers this weekend during their series in Miami.This wasn’t a predetermined decision by the two-time defending champions, of course.De Paula is only coming up now because Shohei Ohtani has gone down with right arm and left knee injuries that finally precipitated an injured list stint.Still, for De Paula to make this big of a jump, becoming the first Dodgers hitter during Andrew Friedman’s tenure as president of baseball operations to be called up directly from double-A, he had to convince the team of his development and maturation.“I think he’s start...