Cincinnati Reds' Rece Hinds Makes History With Towering Blast in MLB Debut

Rece Hinds crushed a 449-foot home run in the Cincinnati Reds' win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, making quite the first impression in the big leagues.

Jul 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (77) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds have had a treasure trove of top prospects reach the big leagues over the past few years.

Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene – the list goes on and on. Rece Hinds may have been Cincinnati's second round pick back in 2019, but the 23-year-old has kind of been lost in the shuffle with so much young talent coming up around him.

Hinds certainly made his presence known in his MLB debut against the Colorado Rockies on Monday.

The outfielder recorded his first career hit with a double in the bottom of the fifth. To lead off the bottom of the eighth, Hinds got a hold of a slider that reliever Tyler Kinley left hanging over the middle.

Hinds crushed the ball 109.6 miles per hour with a launch angle of 25 degrees. It went 449 feet to center for a solo home run, sparking a four-run rally that results in a 6-0 win for the Reds.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Hinds' homer was the second longest by a player in his big league debut since the Statcast era began in 2015.

Sam Hilliard owns the record with a 455-foot home run he blasted in 2019. And, for what it's worth, Hilliard hit that home run at Coors Field, with the 5,200-foot altitude on his side.

Rece Hinds’ 449 ft HR is the 2nd-longest HR by a player in his MLB debut under Statcast (2015), behind only:

8/27/19 Sam Hilliard: 455 ft https://t.co/w7f5gPLzIL

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 9, 2024

The timing of Hinds' arrival couldn't have been better, either. Back on July 16, 2018, Hinds competed in the High School Home Run Derby at Nationals Park alongside eventual Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Now, almost exactly six years later, Hinds has gone yard in the big leagues and Witt is preparing to participate in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star festivities in Arlington, Texas, next week.

All Star 2018. High school HR derby. Fast forward Bobby gets to go home for his first MLB derby this year and Rece just jacked his first MLB home run.

I'm not crying, you are. pic.twitter.com/w9Mhl1Y8W4

— Dani Wexelman (@DaniWex) July 9, 2024

Hinds was a top-10 prospect in the Reds' system from 2020 to 2022, but he dropped to No. 18 in 2023. He made it back up to No. 15 in 2024 before he earned his first MLB promotion.

In his minor league career, Hinds was a .244 hitter with a .790 OPS. He racked up 60 home runs, 202 RBI and 54 stolen bases across 322 games, good for roughly 30 homers, 101 RBI and 27 stolen bases per 162.

Hinds got his MLB career started on the right foot Monday, and the Reds will surely keep him around if he continues to show off his power at the plate.

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