The Cincinnati Reds have had a number of talented prospects make it to the big leagues over the last few years.
The list goes on and on: Ellie de la Cruz, Matt McClain, Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion Strand, Spencer Steer, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, etc. Rese Hines may have been Cincinnati’s second-round pick in 2019, but the 23-year-old got lost in the shuffle with so much young talent emerging around him.
Hines certainly made his presence known in his MLB debut on Monday against the Colorado Rockies.
The outfielder recorded his first career hit with a double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Leading off the bottom of the eighth, Hines caught a slider floated to center field by reliever Tyler Kinley.
Hines hit the ball at 109.6 mph with a 25-degree launch angle, traveling 449 feet to center field for a solo home run that started a four-run rally for the Reds to win, 6-0.
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Hines’ home run was the second-longest by a player in a major league debut since the Statcast era began in 2015.
Sam Hilliard holds the record with a 455-foot home run in 2019. Incidentally, Hilliard hit that home run at Coors Field, which is at an elevation of 5,200 feet.
Rese Hines’ 449-foot home run is the second-longest home run ever hit in an MLB debut, per Statcast (2015), trailing only one player:
August 27, 2019 Sam Hilliard: 455 feet https://t.co/w7f5gPLzIL
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 9, 2024
The timing of Hines’ arrival couldn’t have been better: On July 16, 2018, he played in the High School Home Run Derby at Nationals Park alongside future Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Nearly six years later, Hines is hitting home runs in the major leagues and Whitt is preparing to take part in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby next week as part of All-Star festivities in Arlington, Texas.
All-Star 2018. High School Home Run Derby. As the story goes, Bobby homered in the first MLB Derby of the year and Lece hit his first MLB home run.
It’s not me who’s crying, it’s you. pic.twitter.com/w9Mhl1Y8W4
— Dani Wexelman (@DaniWex) July 9, 2024
Hines was a top-10 prospect in the Reds’ system from 2020-2022, then dropped to 18th in 2023. He bounced back up to 15th in 2024, earning his first MLB promotion.
In his minor league career, Hines batted .244 with a .790 OPS. In 322 games, he recorded 60 home runs, 202 RBIs and 54 stolen bases, averaging roughly 30 home runs, 101 RBIs and 27 stolen bases per 162 games.
Hines got off to a strong start in his MLB career on Monday, and if he continues to be a force at the plate, the Reds will no doubt keep him on the team.
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