Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Sandlin the Wise? Right-handed pitcher David Sandlin is the Red Sox's No. 9 prospect and their No. 2 pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. His fastball tops out at 101 MPH, and Sandlin mixes it with a slider, sweeper, splitter, and curveball.
He also has an interesting pregame routine. The night before every start, Sandlin, a self-described Star Wars nerd, watches Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
"I’m one of the biggest Star Wars nerds you’'ll ever meet," Sandlin said to the Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. "One of my pregame rituals is watching Revenge of the Sith. Every night before I pitch I'll watch it."
It seems to be working for the 24-year-old, who worked 2 2/3 innings against the Twins' Spring Breakout team this past Friday at JetBlue Park. Sandlin struck out seven of the 12 batters faced in his spring training outing while allowing four runners to reach and two to score on two hits and two walks.
Top Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has a Star Wars-themed pregame ritual
Sandlin told me he mixed it up and went with Return of the Jedi last night. https://t.co/NKvLpv51fG
— Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) March 14, 2025
It’s not the weirdest pregame ritual we've heard of. Former Oakland Athletic and New York Yankee Jason Giambi wearing a golden thong to break slumps is up there, along with former Milwaukee Braves outfielder Rico Carty floating five candles in his bathtub and toilet before every game. Sandlin’s movie-watching ways seem pretty normal by comparison to those guys.
Sandlin was acquired by the Red Sox in February 2024, in the trade that sent John Schreiber to the Royals, and spent the 2024 season splitting time between Double-A Portland and High-A Greenville. He posted an 0-4 record with a 5.34 ERA in 18 starts and 57 1/3 innings worked.
Sandlin may not crack the big leagues this season; the former Oklahoma product still needs some time to develop. But with the Red Sox already beat up on the starting pitching front — Brayan Bello is unlikely to be available come Opening Day, along with Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito — it’s not a bad thing for the Red Sox to have another high-potential prospect getting ready to make the next jump. May the Force be with you, David Sandlin.