As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
The Padres and AJ Peller will have a totally new farm system when we re-rank. Due to the timing of everything, we had the list all ready to go and decided to use the list that would have been published before AJ Preller shipped off a large portion of these prospects. The Padres under AJ Preller have not been afraid to trade prospects, and as long as AJ Preller is the leader of this organization, they will continue to utilize their farm system to strengthen the big league squad. The Padres go upside chasing in the draft and in their IFA signings, and lately, they have been batting decently well. Leo De Vries was recently traded, but he is one of the more exciting prospects in all of baseball. The Padres are clearly in win-now mode and are utilizing their farm system in a more aggressive manner than most teams.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to be rolling out its annual system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
El Mutante is one of the highest upside prospects in all the low minors, and at just 18 years old, LDV has already seen time in Single-A. The Padres are known to be unconventional with their prospects, and LDV skipping over the DSL and AZL a couple of months after signing fits the unconventional manner they like to follow, as they did with Ethan Salas. LDV is one of the most impressive athletes I have seen in the California League. He is an easy plus runner with good lateral agility, and that helps him in the field where he is more twitchy than refined at shortstop, but again, he was only 17 years old. If he grew up stateside, he would be a draft-eligible high school senior and would be the number 1 pick in the upcoming MLB draft. As a switch hitter, there is no discernable difference between his left-handed and right-handed swing and no difference in aesthetics or outcome. LDV makes solid contact, all things considered, and he has shown off some impressive power from both sides of the plate. There is well above-average bat speed and some natural loft in his swing that portends to more power coming, especially as he fills out. There is good strike-zone recognition for someone as young as he is, and there is a semblance of an approach; although he will chase breaking balls away, this can get cleaned up as this is more of a swing-decision issue than a pitch-recognition issue. There are some extreme outcomes for De Vries. He could end up being a 70 this time next year, or he could have some serious prospect fatigue like his organization mate Ethan Salas. If everything clicks, it’s a switch-hitting shortstop who is a legitimate 5-tool prospect. - Rhys White
Dynasty Outlook
Through little fault of his own, De Vries has been overtaken by a few other helium-filled names for consideration as the top prospect in baseball. He does lack a double-plus carrying tool, and his surface stats look just good, not great, admittedly. Yet at just 18-years-old, and playing the sport’s premium position, LDV has largely held his own at a level where he is over four years younger than the average player. His contact and swing-decision metrics are solid across the board, and his mature approach leads to an elite walk-rate. As he continues to get stronger and refine his swing mechanics, a bit more game power should materialize as well. De Vries seems more like a safe-bet big leaguer than a future MVP-candidate at this point, but he has at least a year of development left, if not two, to find another gear of plate production. While he may not hold quite as much value as a Konnor Griffin or a Kevin McGonigle at this very moment, he could still outperform many of his peers in the long run. – Lucas Morel
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Watch Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live & Stadium! | Amateur and Dynasty Team Writer/Podcaster | I love the Tennessee Volunteers, milk, pitchers, catchers, & you <3 P4:13
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
