Nice update from a national MLB writer on Tait and an A’s catching prospect
Both dealt for top-tier closers at the 2025 Trade Deadline, Leo De Vries and Eduardo Tait may have their Minor League careers closely watched in lock step. As it turns out, both have been red-hot to begin 2026. De Vries, the Athletics’ No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 4
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Both dealt for top-tier closers at the 2025 Trade Deadline,
Leo De Vries and
Eduardo Tait may have their Minor League careers closely watched in lock step. As it turns out, both have been red-hot to begin 2026.
De Vries, the
Athletics’ No. 1 prospectand
MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall, collected three hits Wednesday -- his sixth multihit game of the year. Tait, the
Twins’ No. 3 prospect and
MLB Pipeline’s No. 56 overall, whacked his third homer of the season among three hits and four RBIs.
De Vries’ big night came in
a 7-3 win for Double-A Midland over Springfield. Still just 19 years old and serving as the youngest qualified regular in the Texas League, De Vries went to the opposite field for all three of his hits: an RBI single in the third, a double in the seventh and another double in the ninth. The switch-hitting shortstop also walked and struck out.
Through 18 games after headlining the Mason Miller last season, De Vries is slashing .333/.427/.464. He’s in the top 10 of the Texas league in hits (23), average and OBP.
Tait, acquired as part of the Jhoan Duran deal, is also still just 19. His performance came in
a 12-10 loss for High-A Cedar Rapids against Peoria.
The lefty-hitting catcher, serving as the DH on Wednesday, skied a one-out, 2-0 pitch off the batter’s eye in center field in the first inning to open the scoring. He came back in the third inning with an RBI groundout. Tait then mashed a two-run double off the wall in the fifth and singled in the seventh. He also struck out once.
Tait, with a hit in two consecutive games, is now up to a strong .943 OPS in 16 games.
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