Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds’ only goal for the 2022 season was to stay healthy.
Hinds was a third baseman through the end of the 2021 season, and leg injuries defined the first half of his minor league career. Playing in the infield wore him down, so Reds management decided to move Hinds to right field heading into the 2022 season.
The position change allowed Hinds to stay healthy and get his career back on track. Then, in a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Hinds made his MLB debut in right field and showed what he could do.
He’s impacted the game in nearly every area, but Hinds’ game is built around his power. The highlight was a monstrous 449-foot solo home run that landed in the second deck and gave the Reds a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning. According to MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs, it was the longest home run by a player in a major league debut since 2019.
“It’s nothing more than a normal home run for Rece,” Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said.
“Yes,” Hinds said. “That’s right,” Hinds said.
How crazy is Hinds power?
“You already know the answer to that question,” said Reds backup catcher Austin Wynns, who played with the Hinds for most of the year in Triple-A.
The Reds selected Hinds in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft because they saw great long-term potential. He has elite raw power and hit a 494-foot home run in the minor leagues. He also has a terrific arm and high sprint speed.
Hinds has had to work on his batting discipline for years, and he’s not done mastering it yet. Quadriceps, meniscus and hamstring injuries have slowed his development and robbed him of the batting opportunity he so desperately needed.
Between 2019 and 2022, he played just 136 minor league games total before having better luck with injuries in 2023 and playing 109 games. He called his move to right field a turning point in his career. He wasn’t always productive at the plate, but he got the at-bats he needed to continue developing.
“(Right field) has been a huge help to me,” Hinds said. “It’s a lot easier on my legs on grass. I’ve worked hard there the last couple of years to try to be ready for that call and show what I can do.”
This year in Triple-A, Hinds was hitting .216 with an impressive 126 strikeouts in 77 games. But since the Reds lost outfielders Stuart Fairchild and Nick Martini to the injured list over the weekend, Hinds was next in line for the organization’s most prominent players.
Against the Rockies, the 23-year-old showed the tools that have made him an exciting prospect.
“He’s a very talented player, and the spark he brought today was definitely what the club needed,” Wynns said. “It looks like he’s playing with his hair on fire.”
In his first at-bat, Hinds hit a 107 mph ground ball. Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar made a sensational play to force a grounder, but Hinds showed how much damage he can do when he makes hard contact.
In the fifth inning, Hinds saved a run with a sliding catch in right field. Abbott was on a roll, but then he gave up two consecutive walks. After a trip to the mound, Rockies left fielder Hunter Goodman threw a ball to shallow right field. Hinds drew a faceoff and made the play, and Abbott got out of the inning with the shutout intact.
“The fact that he came out with confidence on Day 1 and then got his first major league hit and home run is a big step that the team needs right now,” Abbott said. “I hope he takes more of those in the future.”
Hinds’ position change has paid off for the Reds. It’s allowed him to avoid leg injuries and given him the opportunity to develop in the minor leagues. The Reds also need help in the outfield right now more than at any infield position.
After Hinds’ fifth-inning catch, Abbott took over. He completed seven scoreless innings with a season-high eight strikeouts on 106 pitches. Abbott finished the game with a 3.06 ERA on the season.
Hinds got his first major league hit in the bottom of the fifth inning. He threw a sneak past Tovar and the ball hit Tovar’s glove. Hinds showed impressive sprint speed and slid headfirst toward second base.
Hinds’ solo home run in the eighth inning showed some of the progress he’s made. His inconsistent approach to batting has been the blemish on his scouting report throughout his minor league career.
He didn’t have a stellar statistical season in Triple-A, but Hinds felt like he was making progress.
“I had a little bit of trouble understanding the new level in my first experience in Triple-A,” Hinds said. “Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve taken a step back and been able to stay in my zone and attack the pitches I want to attack.”
He made his pitch in the eighth inning when reliever Tyler Kinley left a slider across the middle of the plate. And Hinds — who has been on the radar as a power hitter since facing current Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. in the “Junior Home Run Derby” for high schoolers at the 2018 MLB All-Star Game — showed all the raw power he has in the tank.
The home run and the win were the cherry on top of a first day that Hinds said he didn’t see coming.
Hinds was sleeping Sunday night when Triple-A manager Pat Kelly called and told him he was headed to the major leagues.
“I was very surprised,” Hinds said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. Getting that call was just surreal.”
Hinds’ first call was to his mother. He had to hang up because she was screaming with excitement.
“I thought, ‘I can’t take this right now,'” Hinds said. “I was still trying to figure out what was going on. I called her back.”
When Hinds walked into the Reds locker room Monday afternoon, he already had strong relationships in the locker room. Hinds played in the minor leagues with players like Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte and Abbott.
“It was like another friend had joined the team,” Reds manager David Bell said.
Hinds has had conversations with fellow rookies Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise (currently in Triple-A) about what to expect in his debut.
“Take everything into account,” Hinds was told. “Don’t try to do too much and don’t have expectations.”
His role with the Reds going forward remains an open question. Outfielder Austin Slater, acquired via trade Sunday, will rejoin the team Tuesday. Outfielder Jake Fraley is expected to return soon from the family medical emergency list.
Hinds’ first chance at daily MLB action could come now, or it could come later. Whenever he gets a chance to play regularly with the Reds, Hinds showed in his major league debut that he has the tools to be a part of the Reds’ plans for the future.
“He’s already playing like he belongs here,” Bell said. “It’s great to get off to a good start.”