There was an air about Josue De Paula this spring. The Los Angeles Dodgers mega-prospect has been billed as the future, and the lanky outfielder with a smooth, powerful swing carried himself with confidence to match. De Paula knows he is next but must wait, a feeling few understand better than the man the Dodgers tabbed to keep an eye on De Paula over the course of his 2026 campaign.Jason Heyward was once next for the Atlanta Braves, who counted on him to perpetuate the cycle of success. Heyward was billed as the top prospect in the sport before launching a 16-year career in which he became an All-Star, a top-billed free agent, a clubhouse leader and finally someone trying to hold on.That perspective is why the Dodgers brought Heyward on as a special assistant this spring, and why one of his first assignments was to shadow De Paula and impress upon him his reality.“He’s done a lot to earn the attention he’s getting now,” Heyward told The Athletic. “It’s also one of those things where you see guys sometimes not realize that, ‘Hey, you’re very close. You’re closer than you think to that next level and have an opportunity to start your career.'”Jason Heyward, a five-time Gold Glove winner, played for the Dodgers in 2023 and 2024. (Rich Storry / Imagn Images)De Paula has performed like a player who is indeed close, though he is unlikely to be in the Dodgers’ plans for the remainder of 2026 as he continues to refine his game.His year with Double-A Tulsa showcases De Paula’s elite offensive upside, tapping into an ability to pull the ball in the air and access his supreme power with 26 home runs in 117 games. He has hardly sacrificed his hit tool for that power, hitting .307 while walking nearly as often (74) as he has struck out (80) and demonstrating his elite bat-to-ball skills (85.7 percent contact rate).It’s an enticing offensive package.“It’s definitely something that’s fun to watch,” Heyward said. “It’s much easier said than done, what he’s able to do in the box, maintain his tempo. He goes at the pace he would like to go at, and that allows him to make good decisions, whether it’s chasing very rarely and on pitches that are in the zone, getting the kind of swing off that he wants to get off. That’s the name of the game.”