Rece Hinds

If you’re looking for the most power potential in the 2019 class, Hinds might be your guy. With a muscular, 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame, Hinds packs a tremendous punch with a mechanically smooth righthanded swing. He easily has 70-grade raw power currently, and you don’t have to look far to find scouts who will put 80-grade power on Hinds’ bat. Additionally, he has plus-plus arm strength from the left side of the infield and threw 98 mph across the diamond at Perfect Game’s National Showcase last summer. If a team is looking for massive tools and upside, Hinds would be a pretty good place to start. While he would not look out of place in a major league uniform right now, Hinds would get exposed against professional pitching quickly. He currently lacks overall polish to his game, and he showed plenty of swing-and-miss throughout the summer showcase circuit and into the spring. While his plus bat speed allows him to time up premium velocity, Hinds regularly gets fooled on even average offspeed offerings and will often chase pitches out of the zone. Defensively, Hinds has played shortstop for IMG Academy, but he already looks too big for the position and should start out at third base at the next level. His arm strength should be an asset at the hot corner, or even in right field if he has to eventually move to an outfield corner. To stay on the infield, he’ll need to improve both his hands and his throwing accuracy—particularly when his feet aren’t set. Teams will be split on Hinds this June because of his questionable hit tool, but there’s no denying the jaw-dropping power he displays in batting practice. Whichever team drafts him will need to be patient as he makes the necessary adjustments and figures out how to stay disciplined at the plate to punish offspeed pitches, but there could be a massive payoff down the road. Hinds is committed to Louisiana State.