The Aporia · Dodgers phenom Josue De Paula goes viral after starstruck Shohei Ohtani moment

Dodgers phenom Josue De Paula goes viral after starstruck Shohei Ohtani moment

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Young, G. (2026, September 19). Dodgers phenom Josue De Paula goes viral after starstruck Shohei Ohtani moment. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/19/sports/dodgers-phenom-josue-de-paula-starstruck-over-shohei-ohtani/

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Quick Summary

Dodgers rookie Josue De Paula went viral after a video showed him seemingly starstruck while interacting with Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani during a game against the Giants on Friday night. The 21-year-old De Paula had an impressive debut for the Dodgers, hitting 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI in their victory. The moment was captured by SportsNet LA as De Paula high-fived Ohtani before turning back to look at him in apparent amazement, resonating with fans due to its relatable nature.

Written by AI on 2026-09-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On Friday night, Dodgers phenom Josue De Paula, a 21-year-old rookie with a .924 OPS in 21 at-bats for Los Angeles, had a standout debut at Dodger Stadium against the Giants. He went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in the team's 8-2 win. However, De Paula gained even more fan adoration due to a viral moment caught on SportsNet LA broadcast: after scoring a run, he high-fived Shohei Ohtani, seemingly in awe afterward, suggesting it might have been their first encounter since De Paula was called up while Ohtani was sidelined with right biceps inflammation.

Written for “Dodgers Player Viral Moment” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 12% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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New York Post

Hedges 1 of 41 claims Outlet record 66/100

“The articles describe different games and incidents involving Shohei Ohtani on separate dates.”

Juan Soto shows Dodgers’ Josue De Paula love after viral comparisons Different event

New York Post

Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 66/100

“The articles describe different aspects of Josue De Paula's performance, with Article A focusing on Juan Soto's Instagram shoutout and comparisons to his stance, while Article B focuses on a starstruck moment involving Shohei Ohtani.”

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

12%

1 of 8 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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not political

takes no side on a contested political question

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66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Grant Young

186 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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🔮 “Absolutely I do,” Bowden said when asked whether he thinks the Reds could consider trading star shortstop Elly De La Cruz this offseason, per an X post from Doug McKain.

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 186 articles by Grant Young →

Claims (8 extracted, 1 hedged)

The Dodgers have received a surge of energy from Josue De Paula. asserted

Dodgers → receive → Paula

The 21-year-old rookie was a star in his Dodger Stadium debut on Friday night, going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in an 8-2 win over the Giants. But a hilarious moment involving Shohei Ohtani is what’s making De Paula (who has a .924 OPS in 21 at-bats with Los Angeles) even more beloved among Dodgers fans. The SportsNet LA broadcast for Friday night’s game followed De Paula walking down the Dodgers’ dugout after he scored a run. asserted

he → go → run

At one point, De Paula high-fives Ohtani and then turns around in what appeared to be starstruck awe, as if just realizing he touched the two-way superstar’s hand. asserted

he → five → hand

To be clear, De Paula and Ohtani have probably interacted before. asserted

Paula → interact → ?

But De Paula was called up when Ohtani was placed on the injured list with right biceps inflammation earlier this month, and Ohtani hadn’t been traveling with the team during its recent road trip. asserted

Ohtani → call → trip

Or it could just have been the first time De Paula saw Ohtani that night, either of which could have prompted his starstruck reaction. uncertain

either → see → reaction

Any Dodgers fan would be in awe if they got to interact with Ohtani. asserted

they → get → Ohtani

This is what made De Paula’s response feel so relatable, endearing him to his team’s fan base even further. asserted

response → make → base

Dodgers phenom Josue De Paula goes viral after starstruck Shohei Ohtani moment

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Claims (8 extracted, 1 hedged)