You’ve likely heard the proverb, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But Josue De Paula has put his own twist on it in 2026 -- an RBI a day keeps the opposition at bay.
Or in De Paula's latest case, four RBIs in a day. The Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect swatted his sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot, before adding a go-ahead two-RBI double in Double-A Tulsa’s 7-5 win over Wichita at Equity Bank Park on Tuesday night.
De Paula's roundtripper came in the third inning off right-hander Sam Armstrong (Twins), a first-pitch ambush to his pull side. In addition to his K rate (15.7 percent) dropping during the first seven weeks of the year, De Paula has upped his pull rate in 2026 -- 47 percent of his balls in play are going that way, on pace for a new career high.
But he can still go gap-to-gap with his pop too. The tiebreaking double in the sixth off righty Spencer Bengard was a rocket to left-center with significant tail. Of De Paula's three hardest-hit balls during his Cactus League stint, one went to right, one went to left and one went to center.
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Through 38 games this season, De Paula has racked up 36 RBIs, the second-most in the Texas League. More than three years younger than the average hitter on the circuit, the 20-year-old has driven in at least one run in 21 contests this season, including 10 of 15 this month. His 20 RBIs in May are tied for most in the league with fellow Top 30 overall prospect Lazaro Montes (Mariners).
The run production from MLB's No. 9 prospect has been night and day from 2025. Last year, De Paula accumulated just 44 RBIs across 102 games between High-A Great Lakes and a brief spin with Tulsa. That can largely be boiled down to his at-bats with runners in scoring position. Last year, he hit just .207 with a .328 slugging percentage in such scenarios; this year, he's batting .328 with a .448 SLG.
De Paula and Zyhir Hope (LAD No. 2/MLB No. 20) have served as a formidable tandem all year, a thorn in the side of Texas League hurlers. But the pair of left-handed-hitting outfielders is getting what every batter seeks: protection. Enter Mike Sirota (LAD No. 4/MLB No. 42), who joined the Drillers on Tuesday, giving them three of MLB’s top 42 prospects on the same lineup card.
COMPLETE DODGERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
The last time three of MLB’s top 50 prospects shared the same lineup? That was just last summer when Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and Josue Briceño suited up for Double-A Erie. McGonigle, who was also 20 years old for some of that tenure, has emerged as a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender at the big league level just a season later, a reminder of how quickly success in the upper Minors can lead to contributions in The Show.