The San Diego Padres’ brass have a potential superstar playing in Fort Wayne in Leodalis De Vries. With San Diego’s core in place through the next decade, ‘El Mutante’ is in play to be the next piece of A.J. Preller’s puzzle.

Hailing from Azua, Dominican Republic, the San Diego Padres’ No. 1 prospect Leodalis De Vries is poised for superstardom.

“This might sound a little crazy, but I compare him to Michael Jordan”, said Fort Wayne TinCaps manager Lukas Ray. “I’ve studied [Jordan] a lot, and what separated him from everybody else outside of his physical talent. Leo’s a competitor, and he only wants to get better. If you want him to do something, just tell him he can’t do it.”

The comments from Fort Wayne’s skipper came after De Vries hit for his first professional cycle, going 5-for-5 including two homers and eight RBI on Tuesday night against the Lansing Lugnuts in a 15-14 victory.

LEO DE VRIES HITS FOR THE CYCLE @Padres | @TinCaps pic.twitter.com/SwJm34G0LO

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 23, 2025

De Vries’ performance stacks up to a short and rare list of only seven Major League players to hit for the cycle and hit two home runs in the same game since 1901.

Notable performances:

Greg Colbrunn, AZ, Sept. 18, 2002
George Brett, KC, May 28, 1975
Carl Yastrzemski, BOS, May 14, 1965
Ralph Kiner, PIT, June 25, 1950
Gil Hodges, BRO, June 25, 1949
Joe DiMaggio, NYY, May 20, 1948, and July 7, 1939
Ed Lennox, PIT (Federal League), May 6, 1914

The 6-foot-1 shortstop has been a machine for San Diego’s High-A affiliate through 14 games played. He’s slashing .291/.344/.618 with a total of nine extra-base hits, three of them being home runs. At 18 years old, the switch-hitter possesses extreme plate discipline, allowing him to reach base regularly. His agility and speed also enable him to make range-defending plays that dazzle spectators.

His on-field performance, confidence, and swagger already fit with San Diego’s Major League core. Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr., who are all part of the Padres’ long-term commitments through at least the next decade, possess electric and polarizing personalities. De Vries would relish the atmosphere of Petco Park mixed with Mike Shildt’s ‘grit squad’ philosophy. Something that sticks out beyond the flare and performances is his maturity.

Speaking through a Spanish interpreter in early April, De Vries was asked about his early successes at a young age:

“The hard work that I put in and the blessings of the Lord. The combination of both just lets me do what I do on the field,” Devries said.

Could De Vries see the Big Leagues sooner than we think?

The teenage phenom has made a sizable impression on Padres brass. According to Denis Lin of The Athletic earlier this spring, there have been discussions on how soon De Vries could impact the Major League roster. “Leo De Vries was 17 when he made his professional debut last April with the Padres’ Low-A affiliate. Team officials believe he could arrive in the majors as soon as 2026, if not in late 2025.”

With Xander Bogaerts moving back to shortstop this season, it’s highly unlikely anyone will see time at shortstop, barring injury or circumstance. The Padres’ $280 million man hasn’t quite lived up to expectations since his arrival in 2023, but there’s still time for him to blossom in wearing brown and gold. Even if Leo De Vries doesn’t see Major League playing time this year, it doesn’t mean he won’t be able to obtain more knowledge in the coming year.

Bogaerts, who is from Aruba, has represented the Netherlands in four editions of the World Baseball Classic tournament. It was recently reported that Leo De Vries obtained Dutch nationality on behalf of his grandparents, making him eligible to play for the Netherlands in the 2026 WBC. If he opts to don the Netherlands orange in the tournament, the opportunity for him and Bogaerts to establish a bond would present itself. What better way for a potential superstar to gain experience from watching and learning from a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion?

Prospectazo de los Padres de San Diego, Leodalis De Vries, de abuelos holandeses, ha conseguido la nacionalidad de sus abuelos recientemente, y fuentes indican que podría estar con Países Bajos en el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol pic.twitter.com/b1PocyJErk

— Eliezer González Caraballo (@ElTioElie) April 23, 2025

Speaking of Xander Bogaerts, one of his former and long-time teammates, and Leo De Vries have something similarly in common—their swings. Not to say that De Vries is the second coming of Rafael Devers, but there’s no denying the resemblance.

Leodalis De Vries and Rafael Devers with similar swings.

De Vries’ is much smoother and effortless while Devers’ is more aggressive and heavy-handed.

‘El Mutante’ is off to quite a start this season. #ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/HMxMRHm1Q9

— Armando Dueñas (@Duenas_JR3) April 25, 2025

As the year and season progress, we’ll hear the name Leodalis De Vries more. He’s primed to be special. He has shown the willingness and determination to be one of the game’s great talents. It might be a little while until we see him in the Majors, but best believe the time will come.

Armando Dueñas

Armando Dueñas is a 25 year-old journalist. He is a native San Diegan who grew up in the South Bay area. A lifelong Padres fan and baseball enthusiast, he resides just about fifteen minutes from Petco Park, where his love of the game began.