PHOENIX — TheDodgers’ No. 1 prospectscrolled through the camera roll on his phone until he landed on the photograph he wanted to share.
The picture was from two years ago, showing Josue De Paula with Stephon Marbury, the former All-NBA point guard. The image wasn’t from a meet-and-greet but from a family reunion in New Jersey. De Paula’s mother, Joy Sanders, is Marbury’s cousin.
“I saw him a lot when I was younger,” said De Paula, who was born and raised in Brooklyn.
De Paula’s expansive family includes another former New York basketball phenom, Sebastian Telfair.
“It was cool knowing that I have some NBA genes in the family,” De Paula said.
The 20-year-old corner outfielder inherited more than athleticism from his basketball-playing relatives. He also inherited their casual confidence, which can be observed everywhere from the way he steps into the batter’s box to how he interacts with teammates in the clubhouse at the Dodgers’ spring training facility.
Does he think he can reach the majors this year?
“I think it’s highly likely,” De Paula said. “I just gotta have fun on the field, do my thing and the rest will take care of itself.”
Something to note: De Paula has played in only four games above Class A.
A consensus top-25 prospect in the sport, the 6-foot-3 De Paula is a natural hitter with an advanced approach and fluid left-handed swing. He has a warm smile and an infectious laugh. He is bilingual, with a Brooklyn accent when speaking English and a Dominican one when communicating in Spanish.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
