Leo De Vries Showing Dominance In High-A & Potential For Future Stardom With Padres
Image credit: Leodalis De Vries (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
As a child growing up in the Dominican Republic, Leo De Vries would stay up well past bedtime, eyes glued to the screen, amazed by the electrifying play of Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.—two players who shaped his style of play.
In late February, as he walked into Peoria Sports Complex for his first big league camp with the Padres, De Vries glanced around the clubhouse and saw the nameplates of Machado and Tatis Jr.
Though still a teenager, De Vries was no stranger to the professional ranks. After signing for $4.2 million as one of the crown jewels of the 2024 international class, he had already begun carving out his path with Low-A Lake Elsinore. De Vries ranks as Baseball America’s No.7 prospect.
But sharing a clubhouse with the icons of his youth was a full-circle moment. The dreams he once imagined in his bedroom had become reality.
“It was incredible,” De Vries told Baseball America in Spanish. “This is stuff you dream about when you’re a kid. I grew up watching them on TV. Then, I got to share a clubhouse with them. Words can’t describe what I felt in the moment.”
De Vries has enough talent to one day be in the same conversation as Machado and Tatis Jr. He could possibly even be in the same lineup with them in a couple years, too.
At just 18 years old, the switch-hitting shortstop is the youngest player in the Midwest League by nearly a year. Yet, he’s already one of the most dominant players in the entire league, if not all of High-A.
This past week, De Vries was ranked No. 1 on the BA Hot Sheet after slashing .533/.667/.867 (8-for-15) with a home run and six RBIs. A couple weeks before that, he put together a game in which he homered twice and hit for the cycle. According to MLB.com, only seven major leaguers have accomplished that feat since 1901. Among them are Hall of Famers George Brett (1975), Carl Yastrzemski (1965), and Joe DiMaggio (1939, 1948).
If that’s a preview of De Vries’ superstar potential, it’s scary to imagine what he’ll look like once he’s fully developed.
“That was an incredible moment,” De Vries said. “But I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking to make history that night. I was just focused on competing in every at-bat and taking advantage of every mistake the pitchers made against me. It was still really special.”
As memorable as that night was, De Vries said it wasn’t the most important moment of his young career. It wasn’t even in triumph—it came through adversity.
He points instead to August 2024, when a right shoulder injury ended his first professional season. It came just as De Vries felt he was settling after injuring his other shoulder earlier in May and gaining steam. He slashed .238/.361/.442 with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 75 games.
But the setback taught him a valuable lesson: Control what you can.
“It was hard,” De Vries said. “When I got injured last year, I felt like it slowed my momentum. I had to accept that the injury wasn’t something I could control. It’s stuff that’s part of the game, and you just need to be able to respond in your own way.”
So how did De Vries respond?
While his focus has always been on the diamond, he made it a point to live in the weight room during the offseason. He was centered around adding muscle to his 6-foot-2-inch frame, but also focused on finding workout routines focused on keeping his body healthy. He credits the Padres staff for teaching him how to take care of his body. And it’s worked out to his advantage.
So far in 2025, De Vries is hitting .305/.396/.547 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. He also boasts excellent plate recognition. He doesn’t chase or miss very much and has a low whiff percentage. And when he connects, he slugs the ball with a high barrel rate. His exit velocities have slightly increased and will continue to surge as he gets stronger.
De Vries is still in the infant stages of his adulthood. The past seven months have allowed him to grow his game, but just as importantly, grow as a person. His maturity, poise and preparation set him apart.
And for a kid who once dreamed in front of a TV screen, the gap between dream and reality is shrinking fast.
“I just want to enjoy playing baseball,” De Vries said. “I don’t have a specific goal like finishing in Double-A or Triple-A. I just want to keep on having fun, because that’s why we all fell in love with the game.”
