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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Owen Hull's journey from the diamonds of Alexandria Little League to professional baseball is now complete.
The Boston Red Sox selected Hull, an outfielder out of the University of North Carolina, with the 67th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Alexandria native and Bishop Ireton High School graduate was the second Tar Heel drafted by Boston that day, joining shortstop Jake Schaffner, who was taken 20th overall.
Hull wasn't heavily recruited coming out of Bishop Ireton, which he said gave him a chip on his shoulder. He landed at George Mason — a 40-minute drive from home — and made the most of it. "Whenever I get the opportunity to play the game, I'm going to go out there and give it everything I've got," Hull told WJLA sports anchor Natalie Spala ahead of the draft.
After two seasons with the Patriots, Hull transferred to North Carolina, fulfilling a promise he made to himself nearly a decade earlier. "I told my mom when I went to the College World Series in 2017 that I was going to play there one day," he told Spala.
He delivered on that promise in a big way. In 69 games with the Tar Heels, Hull hit .393 with a .500 on-base percentage, finishing second in Division I in hits and RBIs while driving in 87 runs and stealing 18 bases. He recorded at least one hit in all six College World Series games, hit two home runs and was named to the All-Tournament Team as UNC advanced to the national championship series.
"The lights were a little brighter, but pressure builds diamonds," Hull told Spala ahead of the draft. "I love the bright lights."
Scouts praised his ability to control the strike zone and make hard contact, with power potentially coming in time for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound outfielder, according to MLB.com. Hull and Schaffner were also roommates and best friends at UNC. "I think even more unique is that they were roommates, too," Red Sox director of amateur scouting Jake Bruml told MLB.com. "We got to meet with both of those guys at the combine. They told me they're best friends, so hopefully they can bring some of the magic that they had in that College World Series run to Boston in the coming years."
Alexandria Little League celebrated the news on Instagram, calling it "HUGE." For Hull, the moment is one of gratitude as much as achievement.
"I owe this game a lot," he told Spala. "The relationships I've made thus far have been amazing. I look forward to continuing to make great relationships."
