Destin Hood

by Mets2k9 on Jul 28, 2025 7:19 PM EDT

He was recently promoted from the GCL after posting a line of .330/.388/.614 , and is only 18 years old. His 6' 1'' 225 frame is a bit short, but he seems like a very good athlete (had a football scholarship lined up at Alabama, if I'm not mistaken). Is he all tools no performance? Or could he develop into a good MLB player. He strikes out a bit too much, but what kind of player do you think he will be?

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Hes a typical high ceiling prospect...

He has all the tools and but lacks polish because he focused on both Football and Baseball in high school (although he appears to have more polish then similar prospects such as Rashun Dixon). He is a very interesting guy to look at; if he does well in Vermont (SS), I could see him starting next year in Hagerstown.

by soccerman0 on Jul 28, 2025 7:37 PM EDT reply actions

I disagree

While other prospects have suffered because of their participation in football, many of those prospects where football players first, who also played baseball, and then signed big baseball contracts because of their physical tools.

Destin, on the other hand, has always been a baseball player first. His amateur baseball resume speaks for itself. It just so happens that he was a good enough athlete to be a very, very good football player.

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions

uh

He just hit .330/.388/.614 to force a promotion . . .so would YOU categorize him as all tools and no performance?

by mrkupe on Jul 28, 2025 7:41 PM EDT reply actions

well, in rookie ball, I wouldn't really consider production to mean a whole lot when it comes to mlb production

by Mets2k9 on Jul 28, 2025 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed

But that wasn’t what you were asking. You asked if he was all tools and no performance. I mentioned the fact that he’s put up good performance this year. Small sample sizes suck, but it’s what you have to work with at the moment. Unless you don’t want to work with it. In which case, no point in asking the question right now.

Now, if you were asking if he will be an “all tools and no production” major league baseball player as opposed to being that way as a prospect . . .well, you might as well pick the answer out of a hat on that one. Hood is 18 and a long way from his final developmental outcome, good or bad. But to answer your question directly, yes, it’s not exactly a stretch to say he COULD develop into a good major league baseball player.

by mrkupe on Jul 28, 2025 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I think we need to hold judgement on the results

because it was 88 at bats in the GCL. He was there last year with almost the same number of at bats and from those numbers he did not look too good. We need to wait until we get enough at bats.

by lions1 on Jul 28, 2025 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions

exactly my thinking. although to see progression from one season to the next at such a young age is promising

by Mets2k9 on Jul 28, 2025 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

saw him play tonight

He built like a monster, but he really don’t have any projection left in him. His built is like Elijah Dukes. He didn’t look overmatched, but he only has average speed, not the good speed that people have said he had.

by Bravesin07 on Jul 28, 2025 10:16 PM EDT reply actions

Average speed?

Average speed? It may be time to reconsider your future as a baseball scout.

Destin was a 4-star football recruit to Alabama in ’08. He was the second highest ranked wr in the state (next to some dude named Julio Jones…) and has been timed at 4.5 in the 40. Hood was a supreme 2-sport athlete in high school. Here is his bio (cut and paste from rolltide.com):

Destin Hood
Wide Receiver
Mobile, Ala. (St. Paul’s)
One of the state’s top two-sport athletes … The Mobile Press-Register’s Super 120 Team (No. 100) and Elite 18 (No. 13) … a four-star wide receiver by Rivals.com … included on Rivals.com 250 list … rated as the 38th best wide receiver nationally and 12th best player on the Alabama Top 35 list by Rivals.com … three-star wide receiver by Scout.com … rated as the 61st wide receiver nationally by Scout.com/SuperPrep and the No. 13 player in the state … caught 53 passes for 1,613 yards and 27 touchdowns in final two seasons at St. Paul’s … led team to 14-1 overall record and Class 5A state championship as senior … started at wide receiver and defensive back in Class 5A Super Six Championship game … caught two passes for 17 yards and had one rushing attempt for six yards in a 14-13 win over Briarwood Christian in the championship game … added four solo tackles and one pass break-up on defense … named First-Team All-State by The Birmingham News, The Mobile Press-Register and the ASWA … named ScoutSouth.com Stars of Alabama … No. 126 player on the Scout.com Southeast 150 list … caught 51 passes for 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior, setting the school’s single-season receiving yardage record … as a junior, he caught 22 passes for 650 yards (26.9 per catch) and 12 touchdowns … rated as the state’s top baseball prospect … named 2008 Louisville Slugger preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper … batted .517 with seven home runs and 36 RBI as a prep junior in 2007 … also added four triples, 11 doubles and stole 43 bases … named 2007 AFLAC High School All-American … slammed eight home runs to win the 2007 AFLAC All-American Home Run Derby at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego … also added two hits in the nationally televised classic on FSN Sports.

If anything, his background and tools should remind folks here of another former Bama wr signee Desmond Jennings, except Destin has much more pop.

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

well . . .maybe he's slowed down?

It can happen when guys get a bit bigger/older . . .Neil Walker in the Pirates organization was a D1 recruit to play WR, and he wasn’t really a burner even in high school.

That said, video of Hood playing football in high school a couple of years back sure makes me think that the dude’s got some pretty good wheels, and that was with pads on.

by mrkupe on Jul 29, 2025 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

He'd be a sophmore or red shirt freshman

The guy was an elite talent on the football field. I have no doubt he will slow down, but he would have been reporting to camp at Bama at this point last year as a true freshman. I doubt he would have lost that much speed so quickly.

That being said, to be fair, speed on the baseball field can be deceiving. It’s possible that Hood’s speed may be better suited from 1st to 3rd than 1st to 2nd.

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Read BA handbook

says Hood has average to plus speed. His speed wasn’t plus last night, but it was at least average but not plus. He has solid awareness at the plate but didn’t his any long flyballs last night.

by Bravesin07 on Jul 29, 2025 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Well...

“Average to plus speed” doesn’t cut it as an SEC wide receiver. He wasn’t considered a marginal prospect when signed by Bama and was sought after by every major program in the SEC.

Dude has wheels.

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

He's built like a Tight End, not a WR

by Bravesin07 on Jul 29, 2025 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

6’2" 190 is not a TE… at least in this part of the world.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=hood
http://alabama.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=62405
http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=62405&sport=1

Very good profile:
http://www.rollcrimsontide.com/HoodBio.html

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions

You've got my attention

by METSMETSMETS on Jul 29, 2025 12:07 AM EDT reply actions

btw he's 19 (April 3, 2026)

one area where he may be merely “standard” is defense. So far he projects as a lowly LF. ;)

by VladiHondo on Jul 29, 2025 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

WOW!! Looking at that video of Destin playing high school football, dude was a beast. I can’t wait to see what he’s able to do in the future playing pro baseball. The guy was big then and still he had speed(WR,CB). And he projects as an Torri Hunter type. I have too give it to Jim Bowden for drafting and signing him.

Be real with yourself.

by Daggerrrrrr on Jul 29, 2025 12:47 PM EDT reply actions

He's a stud no doubt.

There were 3 other Bama signees from that class. RB/S Mark Barron, RB Ivan Matchett, and QB AJ McCarron (who was a soph) in the video. McCarron was a very very good high school pitcher who quit baseball to prepare for his freshman year at UA this fall.

by b1leper on Jul 29, 2025 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions