Dodgers' top prospect showcasing even more pop, ability to get on base in June
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Josue De Paula has been a force at the plate all season, but he’s seemingly taken his game to a new level in June.
MLB’s No. 8 prospect reached base five times and swatted his 11th homer of the season during Double-A Tulsa’s 21-10 win over Wichita at ONEOK Field. Since the calendar flipped to June, De Paula has gone 19-for-51 with 11 RBIs for a 1.114 OPS.
The Dodgers No. 1 prospect reached base in each of his first four at-bats. De Paula strolled to the plate twice in the first inning, first drawing a leadoff four-pitch walk before lacing a single to right field later in the frame.
In the third, the 21-year-old outfielder came to bat with a runner in scoring position for the lone time in the game and didn't let the opportunity go to waste. With a runner on second and two away, De Paula lined an RBI single to left.
Hitting with two outs and RISP has become a specialty this season for MLB’s No. 2 outfield prospect. He’s 13-for-34 (.382) with 22 RBIs in such spots this season.
De Paula’s loudest contact of the afternoon came in the fifth. After checking his swing on a first-pitch changeup by right-hander Jarret Whorff (Twins), he got an 0-1 slider up in the zone and didn’t miss it. Showcasing his 60-grade power, De Paula turned on the offering and blasted it over the wall in right.
Following a flyout in the sixth, the native of Brooklyn, New York, capped his day by drawing his second walk of the afternoon in the seventh.
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Twelve games into June, De Paula is hitting .373 with three long balls, seven extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored. He’s also walked more times (nine) than he has struck out (seven).
For the season and in an organization laden with fellow Top 100 prospects, De Paula still ranks inside the top five of the Dodgers' system in average (.333, second), hits (80, second), RBIs (56, fourth) and .OPS (1.000, fifth).