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Josue De Paula is intent on improving his defense and proving skeptics wrong before the postseason arrives. The Dodgers outfielder has acknowledged the criticism regarding his defensive work and is looking to use the final week of the regular season as an opportunity to demonstrate growth and shut down questions about his ability to handle left field responsibilities, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. De Paula’s focus on defensive improvement reflects both personal motivation and organizational priorities heading into October baseball.

De Paula entered the 2026 season with promise but has faced scrutiny regarding his ability to handle defensive assignments at the major league level. For De Paula personally, acknowledging the criticism and publicly committing to improvement demonstrates maturity and competitive understanding that October assignments depend on organizational confidence across all dimensions—not just offensive production. De Paula’s statement that he aims to “shut a lot of people up” with improved defense reflects genuine competitive fire and recognition that postseason availability depends on demonstrating complete value. For De Paula personally, using the final week to prove himself defensively provides a platform to change the organizational narrative about his capabilities. Left field defense carries specific responsibilities—wall awareness, proper routes, arm strength—and De Paula’s focus on these areas suggests he’s taken the criticism constructively. For De Paula personally, finishing the regular season with improved defensive consistency could position him as a more viable October option and validate his role within the postseason rotation.

For the Dodgers, De Paula’s commitment to defensive improvement validates our organizational standards that complete players must execute across all five tools. We have sufficient offensive depth that De Paula’s bat alone doesn’t secure his October availability. We need contributors who can handle defensive responsibilities with consistency and reliability. De Paula’s public acknowledgment that he needs to improve defensively and his stated intention to do so during the final week of the regular season demonstrates the kind of competitive self-awareness that championship organizations require. Whether De Paula successfully addresses the defensive questions will determine his October deployment and his long-term role within the organization. But his willingness to face the criticism and commit to improvement in the final week of the regular season is exactly the kind of championship-caliber response we need. De Paula has the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and position himself as a meaningful contributor during postseason baseball. His defensive focus down the stretch represents an important organizational marker about what we value heading into October.

Source(s): Fabian Ardaya (The Athletic) | First reported: September 22, 2026 12:00 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers