With May 4 just around the corner, it’s officially Star Wars season across the Minors. (May the Fourth being a play on "May The Force be with you.") And as seems to be the case every year, The Force has been strong with some of baseball’s top prospects.
On Saturday night, Josue De Paula exhibited his powers for Double-A Tulsa with his third home run of the season. Bedecked in a Star Wars-themed jersey, the Dodgers’ top prospect sent a ball just over the right-field fence in the Drillers’ 5-4 win over San Antonio at ONEOK Field.
De Paula, who grounded out in his first at-bat of the game, came to the plate again in the second inning, this time with runners on first and second. On a 1-0 count, MLB’s No. 12 prospect launched an offering from right-hander Ian Koenig (Padres) into a galaxy far, far away, giving the Drillers a 4-0 lead.
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The Missions rallied back, thanks in part to a home run from potential future NL West rival Ethan Salas, his second in as many games and fifth over the past eight days. De Paula finished Star Wars Night 1-for-3 with a walk and the three all-important RBIs.
COMPLETE DODGERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
The 20-year-old’s first full season at Double-A has been defined by offensive production. Slashing .312/.443/.462, he’s in the top two on the team in most offensive categories, including hits (29), walks (21) and stolen bases (nine). His 22 RBIs are tied for second in the Texas League.
To put that figure into the context of his career, De Paula is currently 25 games into his season. In 2025, he drove in just 44 runs over 102 games between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A, so he’s on pace to breeze past that mark and nearly double his current career high of 62 set in 2024.
Having trained previously during the offseason with big leaguers Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz, De Paula has put in plenty of work to make such a stride. Or, in the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “In my experience, there is no such thing as luck.”