For the second straight year the San Diego Padres have hit home run when it comes to international signings.
In January of 2023 the Padres signed then 16-year old Ethan Salas, the top-ranked international prospect in baseball.
This January history repeated itself, as the Padres finalized a multi-million dollar contract with 17year-old Leodalis De Vries, the current #1 prospect in international baseball.
Wearing a brown T-Shirt with the initials "PS" on it, to honor the recent passing of Padres owner Peter Seidler, De Vries conducted a zoom interview from his native Dominican Republic Monday morning.
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"It's a very special day for me," De Vries said through an interpreter. "Especially with this being my favorite team. It definitely makes it a special day all around for me and my family."
De Vries' already has a connection to the Padres. He's called the Padres his favorite team, and cited the "Latin star power" of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado as reasons for signing with San Diego.
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De Vries, a 17-year old shortstop with a 6'2 frame, can impact the game both offensively and defensively. He has an elite throwing arm, smooth fielding ability, excellent bat speed, ability to hit from both sides of the plate, plus power and is fleet of foot, all traits that point to success in higher levels.
"He loves to hit," said Chris Kemp, the Padres scouting Director. "You watch Leo train, he's always facing live pitching. This guy will get 30-40 at-bats a day. He's very advanced from the left-hand side and the right-hand side. His instincts at shortstop, that's where you really see the leadership and taking control of the field. He could play anywhere in the infield. But he'll definitely go out to shortstop and see how long he can stick there."
Kemp said that De Vries would spend the next few weeks training in his native Dominican Republic at the Padres' academy. After that progression through the Padres system could come rapidly, Kemp said that it's possible De Vries could join the team at Minor League Spring Training in March, then continue an upward trajectory through the Padres system. Salas followed a similar path last season by being promoted all the way to Double-A before the season ended.
Kemp's shared his thoughts on adding De Vries one year after Salas, "Immediately when we saw Leo, we knew it was a special talent. We felt very comfortable that this was a special situation. To be able to add him with Ethan Salas, we're very proud of our whole scouting group."
While only a teenager, De Vries talks and plays an older game, "I consider myself a leader. I think I'm a leader above all. I think I can help my teammates, and most importantly help the city of San Diego win a World Series."
As part of the contract, De Vries will get a $4.2 million signing bonus from the Padres.
