'El Mutante' breaks out with first two homers for A's since Deadline blockbuster
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It was only a matter of time before Leo De Vries announced himself at High-A Lansing.
MLB’s No. 3 prospect erupted for two homers -- his second multihomer performance of 2025 -- and a triple, reaching base four times in the Lugnuts' 11-5 win over the Dayton Dragons at Jackson Field.
De Vries, 18, was one of the headliners in the July 31 trade that sent All-Star closer Mason Miller to San Diego. The deal marked just the second time in MLB Pipeline history that a prospect ranked this high has been moved.
Before the swap, the switch-hitting shortstop tallied 31 extra-base hits in 310 at-bats for High-A Fort Wayne, posting a .767 OPS. But through his first 12 games with Lansing, De Vries struggled to a .182/.269/.250 slash line while searching for his rhythm.
“Over the last few days, I’ve just been working hard with the hitting coach and with the team,” De Vries said through a club interpreter. “Now I’m getting the results.”
The teenager insists the transition has been smooth despite the abrupt midseason trade.
“The game is the same,” he said. “I feel grateful to be here. The staff is working with me and I feel that support.”
One area that has remained steady all season is his production against right-handed pitching. Nearly all of his 36 extra-base hits have come from the left side, where he’s posted an .835 OPS.
“I’ve been working on this [approach] for a while,” De Vries said. “Tonight it happened, and I feel like that will happen very often.”
The Athletics have already seen the rewards of trusting young talent. Shortstop Jacob Wilson, 23, earned his first All-Star nod while hitting .312 across 94 games this season, and 22-year-old first baseman Nick Kurtz has posted a .305/.384/.631 slash line with 24 homers. De Vries’ profile adds another dynamic piece to that future.
For now, despite his prospect profile, "El Mutante" is not setting numerical benchmarks.
“Right now the most important thing is just to show up to the field every day and play baseball,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens.”