Juan Soto Praises Dodgers Prospect Josue De Paula Amid Viral Comparisons

New York Mets star Juan Soto has publicly acknowledged Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula, sharing a clip of the young outfielder on his Instagram story. The gesture comes as De Paula has drawn comparisons to Soto, particularly regarding his batting stance.

Soto, who called De Paula "el loco mio" in his post, has a connection to the Dodgers prospect through the "El Niche" baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Both players also share representation with Boras Corporation. MLB itself has noted the similarities between De Paula's stance and Soto's.

De Paula, currently the youngest player in the Dodgers' lineup, was promoted from Double-A to fill in for the injured Shohei Ohtani. Despite his youth, De Paula has shown confidence and power at the plate. Notably, entering a recent game, he had avoided striking out, a sign of his plate discipline.

When asked about the comparisons, De Paula commented, "I wasn't exactly trying to emulate it. It was more just me being so locked in and getting into my legs. But I can understand how it looks like a Soto shuffle. And if people think it looks like that, hey, I’m not mad at it."

Soto's acknowledgment serves as a significant endorsement for De Paula, who is beginning to make a name for himself in Major League Baseball.