Derek Hill Bio
Derek Jerome Hill is an American professional baseball outfielder who has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for multiple organizations. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft and made his major league debut with the club in 2020. He has since appeared in the majors for the Seattle Mariners organization, the Washington Nationals, the Texas Rangers, the San Francisco Giants, the Miami Marlins, and the Chicago White Sox, and was most recently traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2026.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Hill grew up split between the Midwest and Northern California, where his summers helped shape his development as a baseball player. He is recognized for his elite sprint speed and defensive ability in the outfield, and he continues to compete at the highest level of professional baseball.
Early Life and Background
Derek Jerome Hill was born on December 30, 1995, in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up in Des Moines with his mother, while spending his summers with his father in Northern California. During those summers, he played baseball for select teams, which gave him early exposure to high-level competition and helped him develop as a multi-sport athlete.
In 2011, Hill moved to Sacramento, California, and enrolled at Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California. He became one of the top amateur players in the country, and in his senior year he batted an even .500, going 47-for-94, with 11 doubles, seven triples, 30 runs batted in (RBI), and 29 stolen bases. His performance drew the attention of professional scouts and helped him earn a first-round selection in the 2014 MLB draft.
Path to Baseball
Hill had originally committed to play college baseball at the University of Oregon, but his strong senior season and overall prospect profile convinced the Detroit Tigers to select him with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. Shortly after the draft, on June 11, 2014, the Tigers announced they had agreed to terms with Hill on a contract that included a $2 million signing bonus.
That summer, Hill split his first professional season between the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Tigers and the Connecticut Tigers. Across both teams, he posted a combined .208 batting average with two home runs and 14 RBI in 47 games. He continued to refine his game in the lower minor leagues, building a foundation that would eventually carry him to the major leagues.
Derek Hill Career
Early Career (2014–2019)
Hill spent his first full professional season in 2015 with the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Single-A Midwest League, where he batted .238 with a .619 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and 25 stolen bases. His season was limited to 53 games due to injury, but the Tigers remained committed to his development. He returned to West Michigan in 2016 and improved, posting a .266 average with one home run, 31 RBI, and 35 stolen bases.
In 2017, Hill opened the year with West Michigan and batted .285 with an .812 OPS, earning a promotion to the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Florida State League in late August. He played in only nine games at the higher level, hitting .194, but the experience reinforced the Tigers’ confidence in his long-term potential. Following the 2019 season, Detroit added Hill to its 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, signaling that his major league debut was approaching.
Detroit Tigers Breakthrough (2020–2022)
On September 2, 2020, the Tigers recalled Hill following a season-ending injury to outfielder JaCoby Jones, and he made his MLB debut on September 4, 2020, appearing as a defensive replacement. In 15 games during the shortened 2020 season, Hill batted .091 with no home runs and no RBI, but he gained valuable experience at the highest level.
Hill began the 2021 season at the Tigers’ alternate training site in Toledo before being assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He was recalled to the majors on June 3, 2021, after an injury to Victor Reyes, and on August 8, he hit his first major league home run, a three-run drive to left-center off Cleveland’s Zach Plesac. In 49 games with the 2021 Tigers, Hill hit .259 with three home runs, 14 RBI, and six stolen bases, and he recorded the third-fastest sprint speed in MLB at 30.5 feet per second. In 2022, a right hamstring strain delayed his season, and on August 1, 2022, the Tigers designated him for assignment.
Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals (2022–2023)
On August 5, 2022, the Seattle Mariners claimed Hill off waivers from the Tigers and assigned him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. He spent the rest of the year in the Pacific Coast League before being designated for assignment in October and electing free agency in November 2022.
On November 14, 2022, Hill signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals and opened the 2023 season with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, where he hit .324/.381/.533 with eight home runs, 31 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 48 games. His contract was selected to the major league roster on June 21, 2023, after an injury to Víctor Robles, and in 13 games for the Nationals he batted .170/.220/.191 with one RBI and one stolen base. He was designated for assignment on July 5, 2023, cleared waivers, was outrighted to Triple-A, and elected free agency at the end of the season.
Texas Rangers (2024)
On December 27, 2023, Hill signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and in 34 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express he batted .333/.387/.659 with eight home runs, 16 RBI, and six stolen bases. On May 21, 2024, Texas selected his contract and promoted him to the active roster, but he was designated for assignment on June 7, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Round Rock on June 12. He was added back to the Rangers’ major league roster on June 26 before being designated for assignment a second time on July 20.
San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins (2024–2025)
On July 23, 2024, the San Francisco Giants claimed Hill off waivers, and in five games he went 3-for-12 (.250) with two RBI before being designated for assignment on August 2. Two days later, on August 3, the Miami Marlins claimed him off waivers, and he appeared in 32 games down the stretch, batting .234/.259/.402 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and four stolen bases.
Hill returned to the Marlins in 2025 and made 53 appearances, slashing .213/.275/.331 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and seven stolen bases. He was designated for assignment by Miami on September 22, 2025.
Chicago White Sox (2025–2026)
On September 24, 2025, Hill was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox, and he went 2-for-7 (.286) with one RBI in four late-season appearances. In 2026, he made 50 appearances for the White Sox, slashing .213/.284/.375 with four home runs, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2026–Present)
On June 11, 2026, the Chicago White Sox traded Derek Jerome Hill and $250,000 in international bonus pool money to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielders Dylan Campbell and Jose Colmenares. The trade gave Hill a fresh opportunity in a new organization and reunited him with a contender in the National League.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hill is best known for his elite speed and defensive ability in the outfield. He recorded the third-fastest sprint speed in MLB in 2021, and his range has made him a reliable defender at all three outfield positions. Offensively, he has shown flashes of power, including his first career home run off Cleveland’s Zach Plesac, and he continues to add patience at the plate as he works to refine his on-base skills.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Hill’s career came on August 8, 2021, when he hit his first major league home run against the Cleveland Indians, a three-run shot that highlighted his offensive ceiling. He was also part of a quick stretch of moves in 2024, when he was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins within ten days of each other, showcasing the demand for his defensive skill set around the league.
Derek Hill Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Hill’s father, Orsino Hill, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving Derek a deep family connection to professional baseball. Growing up split between Des Moines and Northern California, he spent summers working on his game alongside his father, which played a major role in his development as a top amateur prospect.
Personal Life
Hill’s background, with one parent in the Midwest and another involved in professional baseball on the West Coast, helped shape his baseball journey from an early age. He has continued to build on that foundation as a journeyman outfielder in Major League Baseball.
2025 Season Performance
Hill began 2025 with the Miami Marlins after a productive late-season stint in 2024 that included four home runs and 18 RBI in 32 games. In his first full year with the club, he appeared in 53 games, slashing .213/.275/.331 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and seven stolen bases, providing depth in center and right field.
His season came to an end on September 22, 2025, when the Marlins designated him for assignment, but he was quickly claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox on September 24. In four late-season appearances for Chicago, Hill went 2-for-7 with one RBI, giving him a smoother landing as he transitioned into a new organization.
Looking ahead, Hill’s blend of speed, defense, and occasional pop at the plate made him a useful bench piece for the White Sox, and the late-season change of scenery provided a platform to compete for a more defined role going forward.
