Future looks bright in hands of A's top prospects De Vries, Arnold at Double-A
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Leo De Vries helped drive the offense at the plate and Jamie Arnold handled the rest on the mound Thursday night.
It's a recipe for success the Athletics hope to see much more of in the coming years from two of their top prospects.
De Vries' hot-hitting ways rolled on with three hits and Arnold twirled 6 2/3 innings for his first pro victory in Double-A Midland's 13-1 win over Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field.
De Vries (ATH No. 1/MLB No. 2) ignited the offense for the RockHounds. He drove in two runs and scored another while continuing to get acclimated to the hot corner -- a move the organization hopes increases his versatility as he moves closer to the Majors.
Already red-hot coming into the game, De Vries created havoc in the opening frame with his first of three singles followed by a pair of stolen bases. He capped his sixth three-hit performance of the season with a pair of RBI knocks in his next two plate appearances, his fifth multihit effort during a six-game hitting streak.
Undoubtedly more comfortable while beginning his first full season in the A's organization after coming over from the Padres in the Mason Miller deal during last year's Trade Deadline, De Vries has been a consistent offensive presence since Opening Day.
The Dominican Republic native opened the year batting .293 with a .850 OPS in April. Following a brief lull earlier this month, De Vries is slashing .296/.372/.421 with 28 runs, 19 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 41 games. Still one of the youngest players at Double-A, De Vries will spend the entire season competing at just 19 years old.
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The beneficiary of Midland's offensive onslaught was Arnold (ATH No. 2/MLB No. 29), who finally picked up his elusive first victory in his ninth start. The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft has mixed good with bad through his first six weeks as a pro. May had been less kind to Arnold, who posted a 2.95 ERA in his first month, but the 22-year-old showed why he was a first-rounder on Thursday.
Arnold surrendered a run in the first inning and posted nothing but zeros thereafter, working past the fifth inning for the first time and into the seventh. The Florida State product tossed 93 pitches (54 for strikes), allowing three hits and four walks while striking out six. That gave him 48 punchouts in 40 innings, third-most in the Texas League.