Rece Hinds gives the Reds a significant boost in his MLB debut

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 the Reds’ front office decided to have Hinds move to right field heading into the 2022 season. 

The position change helped Hinds stay healthy and let him get his career back on track. Then on Monday, in a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rockies, Hinds made his MLB debut in right field and showed how much he's capable of bringing to the table.

He impacted the game in just about every area, but Hinds’ game is built around his power. Fittingly, the highlight was a monster 449-foot solo homer that sailed into 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 his big league debut since 2019.

"That's nothing but a normal homer to Rece," Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said.

"Yeah," Hinds said. "It (is)," Hinds said.

How crazy is Hinds' power?

“You already know the answer to that question,” said Reds backup catcher Austin Wynns, who has played with Hinds for most of the year in Triple-A. 

The Reds drafted Hinds in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft because they saw a lot of long-term potential. He has elite raw power and hit a 494-foot homer in the minor leagues. He also has a terrific arm and strong sprint speed. 

Hinds’ plate discipline has been a years-long work in progress that he’s still going through. Quad, meniscus and hamstring injuries stalled his development and took away the opportunity for him to get much-needed at-bats. 

Between 2019 and 2022, he only played in 136 total minor league games before having better injury luck in 2023 and playing in 109 games. He called the move to right field a turning point for his career. He wasn't always producing at the plate, but he got the at-bats that he needed to continue to develop.

"(Right field) has been a tremendous help," Hinds said. "It's a lot easier on my legs out on the grass. I've been working my butt off out there over the last couple of years trying to be ready for this call and show what I can do out there."

In Triple-A this year, Hinds was hitting .216 with a staggering 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-up on the organizational depth chart. 

Against the Rockies, the 23-year-old showed the tools that have made him an exciting prospect.

“He’s a very talented ball player, and the spark that he brought today was definitely what the club needs,“ Wynns said. "He looks like he’s playing with his hair on fire.”

In Hinds’ first at-bat, he smoked a 107 mph ground ball. Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar made a sensational play to force a ground out, 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 allowed back-to-back walks. Following a mound visit, Rockies left fielder Hunter Goodman lofted a flare to shallow right field.Hinds laid out and made the play, and Abbott escaped the inning with the shutout intact. 

"For him on the first day to play with confidence and then get the first big league hit and big league homer, it's big steps that the team needs right now," Abbott said. "I hope more of them are to come."

Hinds’ position change has paid off for the Reds. It has helped him prevent leg injuries and given him the runway to develop in the minor leagues. The Reds also need help in the outfield right now more than they need at any position in the infield.

Following Hinds’ catch in the fifth inning, Abbott took over from there. He completed seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts on a season-high 106 pitches. Abbott finished the game with a 3.06 ERA on the season. 

Hinds picked up his first big league hit in the bottom of the fifth inning. He sneaked a flare past Tovar, and the ball tipped off Tovar’s glove. Hinds showed off impressive sprint speed and slid headfirst into second base. 

Hinds’ solo homer in the eighth inning showed some of the progress he’s making. His inconsistent approach at the plate has been the flaw on his scouting report throughout his minor league career. 

He hasn’t had a standout statistical season in Triple-A, but Hinds felt like he was making progress. 

“I was struggling a bit figuring out the new level in my first time in Triple-A,” Hinds said. “Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve toned it in and gotten myself to stay in my zone and attack the pitches I want to attack.”

He got his pitch to hit in the eighth inning when reliever Tyler Kinley left a slider over the middle of the plate. And Hinds – who has been on the radar as a power hitter since he battled 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 every bit of the raw power he has in the tank. 

The home run and the win put the cherry on top of a debut day that Hinds said he didn’t see coming.

Hinds was sleeping on Sunday night when Triple-A manager Pat Kelly called him and told him he was heading to the big leagues. 

“I was very surprised,” Hinds said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. To get that call was just surreal.”

Hinds’ first call went to his mother. He had to hang up on her because she was screaming with excitement. 

“I was like, ‘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 entered the Reds’ clubhouse on Monday afternoon, he already had strong relationships in the clubhouse. Hinds played in the minor leagues with players like Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte and Abbott.

"It was like another one of the friends had joined the team," Reds manager David Bell said.

Hinds had conversations with fellow rookies Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise (who’s currently in Triple-A) about what to expect in his debut.

“Take it all in,” Hinds was told. “Don’t go in with expectations or try to do too much.”

His role on the Reds going forward is an open question. Outfielder Austin Slater, acquired via trade on Sunday, will join the team on Tuesday. Outfielder Jake Fraley is expected back soon from the family medical emergency list. 

Hinds’ first chance to play on an everyday basis in MLB could come now, or it could happen later. Whenever he gets the chance to play on a consistent basis with the Reds, Hinds showed in his big league debut that he has the tools to be a part of the Reds’ plans for the future. 

"He's playing already like he belongs here," Bell said. "It's great to get off to a good start."