Leo De Vries continues to live up to hilarious nickname in the Arizona Fall League

While San Diego Padres fans have been excited about the progress Ethan Salas has made and anticipate his arrival in the big leagues, his ceiling might not be as high as another top prospect in the farm system. That honor belongs to Leo De Vries who the Padres signed in January 2024 out of the Dominican Republic.

De Vries is an ultra-athletic specimen who also happens to play a premium defensive position. Even if De Vries eventually moves off of shortstop, the switch-hitter projects to be a plus-hitter from both sides of the plate, and has plus-power and speed. If De Vries approach his lofty ceiling, we are talking about a true five-tool star.

Once De Vries began playing in the United States, the reason for his nickname, "El Mutante" [The Mutant], became abundantly clear. After experiencing an injury during the 2024 season, De Vries is fully healthy again, and the Padres sent him to the Arizona Fall League where the 18-year-old has continued to impress.

Leo De Vries continues to show flashes of brilliance down in the AFL

Going against a higher level of competition in the AFL, De Vries' time hasn't come without challenges. He is only slashing .200/.286/.350 through 70 plate appearances with more strikeouts than you would normally want to see.

However, it is important to understand that De Vries is still just a teenager and hasn't played above Low-A yet. The fact that De Vries is holding his own against much older competition in the AFL, let alone hitting absolute tanks is extremely impressive especially when you think about the fact that he had his 2024 season shortened.

Is De Vries going to debut in the big leagues in 2025? Probably not. The Padres are in a really good spot, even with the expected loss of Ha-Seong Kim. However, it shouldn't surprise anyone if De Vries goes wild in the minors next season and forces San Diego take a long look at him for their 2026 Opening Day roster.

More San Diego Padres News and Rumors