There are prospects who put up numbers.

Then there are prospects who make scouts stop talking mid-conversation just to watch batting practice.

Leo De Vries has become that kind of player.

And after the chaos of the 2025 season, the baseball world is beginning to realize something very important:

The Athletics may have landed a future superstar.

Because while headlines focused on blockbuster trades and playoff races, evaluators around baseball quietly became obsessed with one thing:
how advanced Leo De Vries already looks at just 18 years old.

From a scout’s perspective, players like this are dangerous.

Not because of one loud tool.

Because the entire package keeps getting better every time you watch him.

The Trade That Changed Everything

The 2025 season felt like a blur for De Vries.

He opened the year in the San Diego Padres organization and immediately started proving he belonged against older competition in High-A baseball.

That alone turns heads for an 18-year-old shortstop.

Then came the blockbuster deadline trade involving star closer Mason Miller.

Suddenly, one of the Padres’ most exciting young prospects was headed to the Athletics organization, instantly becoming one of the centerpieces of their future.

And through all the movement, all the pressure, and all the adjustments that come with changing organizations midseason, De Vries just kept hitting.

That matters more than people realize.

Scouts pay close attention to how young players handle chaos.

The best prospects keep performing anyway.

Leo De Vries did exactly that.

The Numbers Only Tell Part of the Story

Across multiple levels and both organizations during 2025, De Vries slashed:

• .255 batting average
• .355 on-base percentage
• .451 slugging percentage
• 15 home runs
• 125 wRC+

For most 18-year-olds, that production would already be impressive.

But scouts are excited because the underlying traits may be even better than the numbers themselves.

This is not a player surviving off raw athleticism.

This is a hitter who already understands how to build at-bats.

That changes everything long term.

The Plate Discipline Is Advanced Beyond His Age

This is the first thing scouts bring up consistently when discussing De Vries.

The approach.

Young hitters usually fall into one of two categories:

• talented but overly aggressive
• patient but passive

De Vries looks balanced already.

That is rare.

He recognizes pitches early, stays under control in difficult counts, and consistently works himself into favorable situations offensively.

Plus plate discipline at 18 years old changes the projection of an entire profile.

Because once a hitter understands the strike zone that young, everything else starts playing up:

• power
• contact quality
• consistency
• pressure on pitchers

Pitchers cannot simply overpower him with bad pitches.

He already makes them work.

The Power Is Real — Especially From the Left Side

The offensive upside here is what excites evaluators most.

De Vries has already shown above-average exit velocities for his age, and scouts believe there is significantly more power still coming as his body matures physically.

From the left side especially, the ball jumps differently off his bat.

There is looseness.

Whip.

Natural carry.

And unlike many young power hitters, the swing does not feel out of control chasing damage.

Everything looks connected.

Fluid.

Repeatable.

That matters because sustainable power is built differently than showcase power.

Scouts believe De Vries has the type of swing capable of producing impact power at the highest level without sacrificing approach.

That combination becomes incredibly valuable in modern baseball.

He Already Looks Like a Big League Shortstop

This may be the most underrated part of his profile.

Leo De Vries looks like he belongs at shortstop long term.

The actions are smooth. The internal clock is advanced. The body control stands out immediately, especially for someone still physically maturing.

And because he projects to stay at a premium defensive position, the offensive upside becomes even more exciting.

Switch-hitting shortstops with:

• advanced plate discipline
• real power projection
• defensive value
• and athleticism

do not stay underrated for very long.

Why Scouts Believe His Ceiling Is Massive

Here is what makes De Vries different from many teenage prospects.

There are no glaring holes right now.

Usually, scouts dream on one elite tool while hoping the rest develops later.

With De Vries, the entire offensive profile already feels connected.

The approach works.

The swing works.

The power is developing.

The athleticism plays.

The defense projects.

That is why evaluators across baseball are becoming increasingly aggressive about his future.

Because when multiple parts of a profile begin advancing together this young, superstardom suddenly becomes a realistic conversation.

The Path Toward Becoming Baseball’s Top Prospect

Much like fellow rising phenom Jesús Made, De Vries has a legitimate path toward becoming one of the top overall prospects in baseball entering 2027.

Several names currently ahead of him are expected to graduate to the major leagues during the 2026 season.

That opens the door quickly.

And honestly, very few prospects in baseball currently combine:

• age
• switch-hitting ability
• offensive maturity
• defensive value
• physical projection
• upper-level success

the way De Vries already does.

That combination is incredibly difficult to find.

What Young Players Should Learn From Leo De Vries

Young hitters watching De Vries should notice something important.

He does not try to look flashy.

He looks under control.

That matters.

The best prospects are rarely the players swinging hardest every pitch or trying to hit every ball 450 feet.

The elite hitters control the strike zone first.

They control tempo.

They control at-bats.

De Vries already understands that at 18 years old.

And that maturity may ultimately become his greatest weapon.

Why Baseball Fans Should Start Paying Attention Now

Every year baseball has hyped prospects.

But every once in a while, there is a player the scouting industry starts speaking about differently.

That is happening right now with Leo De Vries.

Because this is no longer simply about projection.

This is about performance matching projection extremely early.

And once that starts happening with teenage shortstops who can switch hit and impact the baseball, organizations begin dreaming very big.

Final Thoughts

The Athletics may have landed one of the most important young players in baseball when they acquired Leo De Vries.

At just 18 years old, he already looks like one of the most complete offensive prospects in the minor leagues while continuing to show the type of maturity scouts rarely see this young.

The plate discipline.

The switch-hitting ability.

The power projection.

The defensive value.

The calmness.

Everything points toward a player with legitimate superstar upside.

And if the development continues at this pace, baseball may not be talking about Leo De Vries as simply a top prospect much longer.

It may soon be talking about him as one of the future faces of the sport.