Shortstop Yilver De Paula made waves within the Angels organization with a loud, albeit brief, stint in the Dominican Summer League last year.
He reached base in 21 of his 40 plate appearances over 10 games before he injured his left shoulder diving for a ball and had season-ending surgery.
Offseason strength gains became a focus De Paula, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2025. That work helped produce immediate results for the 18-year-old in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League this season.
Through 30 games, De Paula batted .277/.349/.482 with three home runs and 10 doubles, though that came with an 0-for-5 showing on the bases.
“(De Paula) put in a lot of work over the winter with some of the strength gains, which in turn you’ve seen his ability to impact the baseball,” Angels assistant GM Joey Prebynski said. “We’ve been very pleased with how it’s carried over into games and how he’s been able to do more damage.”
Originally signed as a glove-first, switch-hitting shortstop with speed and athleticism, De Paula has opened eyes with his hitting progress. As an added bonus, he had produced against both righthanded and lefthanded pitchers in a small sample.
“I think with any younger player, there’s a little bit of an adjustment period when they first come over to the States for the first time,” Prebynski said, “but we’ve certainly been pleased with Yilver . . .
“He’s a switch-hitting shortstop with a plus hit tool, plus speed and the ability to impact games offensively and defensively. We’ve been really pleased with how he’s experienced more game situations and, ultimately, how he’s started to find a little more consistency in how he performs.”
De Paula’s performance paired with physical tools have fostered optimism in the organization, bringing to mind the trajectory of outfielder Hayden Alvarez last year.
“Yilver will determine that,” Prebynski said, “He’s certainly made a lot of positive steps since he played last year.”