Josue De Paula stepped into the batter’s box for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, October 4, 2026, making his major league postseason debut in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. Yeah, he popped out for the final out, and the comeback attempt fell short. But forget the result for a second, because just getting into that game at his age? That’s what stamped his name into the history books.
This Kid Is Seriously Young For This Stage
Seriously, this kid is 21 years, 133 days old. When he played on Sunday, De Paula became only the fourth Dodgers position player that young to ever appear in a postseason game. The last time we saw a position player this green on such a huge stage for the Dodgers? You gotta go all the way back to 1965, when 19-year-old outfielder Willie Crawford appeared in Game 6 of the World Series. Think about that, 61 years!
Before Crawford, it was Eddie Miskis in the 1947 World Series and Ron Fairly in the 1959 World Series, both also 21-year-old outfielders. Sure, the Dodgers have had some young pitchers hit the postseason, like Johnny Podres in 1955 or Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, even Clayton Kershaw in 2008 and Julio Urías in 2016. But for a position player to be this young and making an appearance? That is just incredibly rare and speaks volumes about what the Dodgers brass sees in him.
Making History At Dodger Stadium, Too
But wait, there’s more history this guy is making. Josue De Paula isn’t just one of the youngest Dodgers position players in postseason history. He is also the youngest Dodgers position player to actually bat in the postseason in the 65-year history of Dodger Stadium. Out of all those young Dodgers, pitchers included, only De Paula, Valenzuela (who went 0 for 7 with a walk and a sacrifice), and Urías (0 for 1) actually stepped up to the plate at Chavez Ravine. That’s a huge deal.
Now, if you count other teams, yeah, six other position players have been younger than De Paula when playing at Dodger Stadium in the postseason. Guys like Andruw Jones, who was 19 back in the 1996 NLDS, or Ronald Acuña Jr., 20 in the 2018 NLDS. Even Juan Soto and Jordan Lawlar have played there younger. But De Paula being the youngest Dodger position player to bat there? That’s his own little piece of unique history.
And get this, his big debut came right after a massive day where he was honored as the Dodgers minor league player of the year for 2026. He even shared the spotlight with pitcher Christian Zazueta, who was named minor league pitcher of the year. The kid was asked if he was more nervous talking to media or being at the plate, and his answer? Pure ice. “I don’t feel like it’s nerve-racking, you know what I’m saying? I’m just talking with people. We’re all people at the end of the day,” De Paula said. “I love being in the batter’s box. I love competing. It’s not really nerve-racking. It’s normal.” Talk about confidence!
A Glimpse At The Future
So while the Dodgers’ comeback fell short in Game 2, Josue De Paula’s major league postseason debut wasn’t just another out. It was a statement. This dude is ready, he’s fearless, and he just inked his name into the record books. It’s a glimpse into the future, and if that quote is anything to go by, De Paula is going to be loving every second of it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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