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When MLB Pipeline updated its rankings to reflect players who graduated from "prospect" status Sunday, no Top-20 prospect saw his stock improve more than Padres minor leaguer Leodalis De Vries.
De Vries, 18, climbed 11 spots in the rankings from 14 to 3.
"The switch-hitting shortstop is a slightly better slugger from the right," wrote Sam Dykstra, "but he's no slouch from the other side. With above-average speed and a good arm on the dirt, he's become the game's top shortstop prospect."
That's rare praise for a player who is ostensibly three levels away from the big leagues. De Vries is a rare prospect. He isn't merely ahead of schedule by playing in the advanced Class-A Midwest League as an 18-year-old — two years younger than the second-youngest player in the league — he's thriving.
Through his first 30 games with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, de Vries is slashing .276/.356/.483 with 21 runs scored and 21 RBIs. That equates to an .839 OPS in a league where the median is .700.
Signed to a $4.2 million bonus in January 2024, De Vries moved to full-season ball three months later, debuting at Single-A Lake Elsinore. He finished the season with an .802 OPS, 11 home runs, and 13 stolen bases in the California League. After the season, he was chosen the organization's Player of the Year by Baseball America.
More news: Padres Release Veteran Pitcher After Major Struggles
This season, "El Mutante" has already hit for the cycle on April 22, a 5-for-5, 2-homer, 8-RBI performance.
"This might sound a little crazy, but I compare him to Michael Jordan."@Padres teen phenom Leo De Vries (MLB No. 17) earned the highest of praise from his High-A @TinCaps manager after a performance for the ages: https://t.co/wSMjqjohYE pic.twitter.com/AdtDgeY6hK
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 23, 2025
According to MLB.com, de Vries set a team record with his eight RBIs and became the third TinCap to complete the cycle; he's just the 13th minor leaguer to hit for a cycle since 2005.
"He’s been taking great at-bats all year," Fort Wayne manager Lukas Ray told MLB.com after the game. "He hit into some poor luck and a few hits didn't fall. Tonight, though, was one of those nights. I didn't know what exactly what type of hits he'd get, but you could just feel he was going to find some holes."
Although he's blocked at shortstop at the major league level by Xander Bogaerts and his 11-year contract that runs through 2033, Bogaerts moved to second base last season to accommodate Ha-Seong Kim, which suggests the Padres and the veteran would accede to another move if needed.
De Vries' expected year of arrival is not until 2027, but he could force the issue sooner despite his age. Certainly de Vries' pedigree — he was the top-ranked international amateur a year ago — wouldn't rule it out. Neither will the most recent rankings from MLB Pipeline.
For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.
More must-reads:
- Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
- Yankees slugger Aaron Judge lands at No. 1 on prestigious list
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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