Nationals Agree to Terms with Outfielder Destin Hood, the Second-Round Selection
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder Destin Hood, the club's second-round selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft. Hood will be assigned to the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, FL. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden, Vice President of Baseball Operations and Assistant General Manager Mike Rizzo, and Director of Scouting Dana Brown made this joint announcement.
Hood, 18, was a two-sport standout for St. Paul's Episcopal High School in Mobile, AL. This year, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder batted .485 with 19 extra-base hits, eight home runs, 32 RBI and 17 stolen bases while leading his team to the 5A state semifinals and earning a spot on the USA Today All-USA High School Baseball Team. Hood was recognized as the Alabama Sports Writers Association's 5A Player of the Year, and was named the High School Baseball Player of the Year by the Mobile Press-Register. He was a 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American, after batting .517 with seven home runs, 36 RBI and 43 stolen bases as a junior. His impressive junior campaign earned him AFLAC All-American honors and a spot in the AFLAC All-American Home Run Derby, which he won with eight homers.
This season on the gridiron, Hood caught 56 passes for 995 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to Alabama's 5A State Championship. A starter at wide receiver and defensive back, he was named First-Team All-State by The Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register and the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Hood, who attended the same high school as San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, had signed a letter of intent to play both baseball and football at the University of Alabama.
To date, the Nationals have agreed to terms with 25 players selected in this year's Draft:
SIGNED PLAYERS FROM 2008 MLB FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT
RD PICK PLAYER POS B/T HT WT DOB SCHOOL (HOME STATE)
2 55 DESTIN HOOD LF R/R 6-1 180 4/3/90 ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL HS (AL)
6 181 PAUL DEMNY RHP R/R 6-3 220 8/3/89 BLINN COLLEGE (TX)
7 211 DANIEL KILLIAN C L/R 6-4 195 1/14/89 KELLOGG CC (MI)
8 241 RICARDO PECINA LHP L/L 6-0 215 7/1/87 SAN DIEGO (CA)
9 271 J.R. HIGLEY RF R/R 6-3 200 6/21/88 SACRAMENTO CC (CA)
10 301 TOM MILONE LHP L/L 6-1 205 2/16/87 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (CA)
12 361 WILLIAM ATWOOD LHP L/L 6-2 190 1/13/87 SOUTH CAROLINA (SC)
13 391 BLAKE STOUFFER 2B S/R 6-0 195 10/11/85 TEXAS A&M (TX)
16 481 TYLER MOORE 1B R/R 6-2 210 1/30/87 MISSISSIPPI STATE (MS)
17 511 JOSE LOZADA SS S/R 6-0 180 12/29/85 BETHUNE-COOKMAN (PR)
18 541 BOBBY HANSEN LHP L/L 6-5 220 12/17/89 LEWIS-PALMER HS (CO)
19 571 STEPHEN LOMBARDOZZI 2B S/R 6-0 170 9/20/88 ST. PETERSBURG JC (MD)
21 631 MICHAEL GUERRERO RF R/R 6-0 190 10/16/86 MISSISSIPPI (MS)
22 661 CHRIS CURRAN CF L/R 5-9 170 12/21/87 MIAMI-DADE CC (MA)
23 691 DERRICK PHILLIPS OF R/R 6-3 220 9/21/90 WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (MO)
24 721 CHRISTOPHER KELLEY RHP R/R 6-1 200 8/8/85 RICE (TX)
25 751 AUSTIN GARRETT LHP L/L 6-0 190 3/26/87 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (FL)
27 811 CHRIS SOLIS C R/R 6-2 215 1/22/86 INCARNATE WORD (TX)
28 841 NICHOLAS ARATA 2B R/R 5-10 175 10/13/86 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (FL)
30 901 CASEY WHITMER RHP R/R 6-2 200 3/19/87 TEXAS (TX)
34 1021 BRIAN PRUITT OF R/R 6-1 175 12/8/86 STETSON (FL)
35 1051 CLAYTON DILL LHP R/L 5-11 190 1/3/86 MISSOURI BAPTIST (AR)
38 1141 RONNIE LABRIE 3B R/R 6-3 205 10/22/86 LYNCHBURG COLLEGE (VA)
39 1171 JAMES KEITHLEY SS R/R 6-1 185 2/18/87 TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (TX)
44 1321 JUAN PADRON 1B R/R 6-1 220 2/14/86 RICE (TX)
