Leo De Vries is showcasing renewed vigor as he leads high Single-A Fort Wayne to a solid 9-4 victory against Cedar Rapids. The 18-year-old shortstop hit his eighth home run of the season, marking his third homer this month alone. De Vries has turned around his performance in July, boasting a batting line of .261/.346/.493 for an impressive .839 OPS after struggling in May and June with OPS figures of .599 and .659, respectively.
In the recent game, De Vries contributed significantly with a 2-for-5 performance, which included a walk and a run scored while serving as the designated hitter. His fellow shortstop teammate, Brandon Butterworth, also made an impact by driving in three runs with two hits, including his 11th home run of the season.
Other notable contributions to the Fort Wayne lineup included left fielder Kaden Hollow, first baseman Jack Costello, and catcher Oswaldo Linares, all of whom delivered doubles. On the pitching side, left-hander Luis Gutierrez managed to maintain a 3.66 ERA, even though he allowed four runs in 5⅔ innings. Right-hander Garrett Hawkins sealed the game with a perfect scoreless ninth inning and a 1.50 ERA.
Meanwhile, other teams within the organization had strong performances as well. The Double-A San Antonio Missions displayed dominance with a 6-1 win against Midland, where right-handed pitcher Henry Baez impressed with two strikeouts and only one run allowed over five innings. In Low Single-A Lake Elsinore, the Storm triumphed over Stockton, powered by B.Y. Choi’s impressive four RBIs and Kale Fountain’s first homer.
Fort Wayne’s record now stands at 47-48, reflecting their ongoing efforts and performances in the league. These positive trends and individual successes indicate a hopeful outlook for the remainder of the season.
The youthfulness and potential skills of players like De Vries hint at exciting times ahead for the Fort Wayne team and its fans.