An 18-year-old from the Chicagoland area just had a baseball dream come true. The San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball recently drafted Dillon Head out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School with the No. 25 pick in the first round.
With the 25th pick in the 2023 #MLBDraft, the Padres have selected Dillon Head from Homewood-Flossmoor HS (IL). pic.twitter.com/gtMWsUIeqn
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 10, 2023
As for the city of the team that drafted him, Head is a fan.
“It’s probably my favorite place on Earth,” said the 6-0 180-pound outfielder. “They definitely got some of the hottest players in the game right now.”
It could be a few years before Head joins Padres stars Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis, Jr. Unlike the NFL, MLB draftees play for minor league teams instead of going straight to the big leagues. If he makes it to the major leagues, he’d be the fourth player from HF to do so, joining John Ely, Eric Hillman and Larry Rothschild.
Still, Head has options. He can join the Padres’ minor league system or play for Clemson University’s baseball team, where he signed on as a commit.
Either way, Head is viewed as a prospect who oozes talent. Known for his speed and defense, he is regarded as the best position-playing baseball prospect to ever come out of Homewood-Floosmoor. The Padres are also excited about what Head could be as a hitter.
“I think there’s sneaky juice in there offensively,” Padres scouting director Chris Kemp told MLB.com about Head. “Real excited about his skill set.”