PEORIA, Ariz. -- It was only one at-bat in the ninth inning of a Cactus League game in February. And yet Leo De Vries' opposite-field double against the Angels on Tuesday afternoon set Padres camp abuzz.

In a singular sequence, it captured everything about why San Diego is so high on the 18-year-old shortstop, recently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the sport’s No. 18 overall prospect.

Leading off the ninth, De Vries fell behind 0-2 against Angels right-hander Brady Choban. He proceeded to lay off three tricky pitches below the zone, working the count full. When Choban dotted a high fastball on the outer half of the plate, De Vries went with the pitch, lacing it to the opposite field for a double.

“I feel like that’s a good representation of who I am as a ballplayer -- selective, control the zone,” De Vries said a day later through interpreter Danny Sanchez. “And at that point in the game, the team needed me. Down by two, I needed to get on base. So I think it’s a good reflection of who I am.”

The swing. The approach. The mindset. The Padres loved all of it.

“We talk about situational awareness,” manager Mike Shildt said. “He could’ve easily been like, ‘You know what, I’m going to go up there, get my swing off, maybe hit a homer and show everybody what I can do.’ But the scoreboard told him it was 2-0, and we needed somebody to get on base and start a rally. He took a good at-bat.

“And because he had the right approach, that’s probably a pretty good reason he doesn’t chase some balls. Then he ends up lacing a ball into the left-center gap. Now we’ve got a good approach coupled with a real talent. That’s a pretty special thing.”

A day later, De Vries pulled off more or less the same feat, facing the White Sox in Glendale on Wednesday. He fell behind 0-2 against former Padres reliever Dan Altavilla, before working the count full. This time, he lined a single into center.

The Padres envision more where that came from. It’s why they’re giving De Vries a serious look early in big league camp this spring, even though he’s destined to open the year in the Minors. They’ve stationed his locker between veterans Xander Bogaerts and Jason Heyward.

Only a year ago, De Vries hadn’t yet set foot in the United States. Heck, he’d never even flown on a plane before reporting to Peoria in early March. The top-ranked international prospect in last year’s class, De Vries quickly began to turn heads.

As a 17-year-old, he more than held his own at Single-A Lake Elsinore, finishing the year with a .237 batting average and an .803 OPS. He dealt with injuries to both shoulders, one at the start of the season and one at the end. De Vries’ early numbers were impacted by the first injury, and his regular season ended early because of the second. But he mashed in July and August, slashing .284/.407/.589 across 35 games.

Now, De Vries is in big league camp, potentially the Padres’ shortstop of the future. He’s been overmatched a couple times -- to be expected from an 18-year-old facing big league competition. But he’s mostly held his own. On Sunday, he made an impressive diving stop at short to rob Mookie Betts of a hit.

For now, De Vries is merely trying to soak it all in.

“It’s incredible being around all these superstars,” De Vries said. “That’s something you dream about. Going into my second year, it’s all been a dream come true.”