DL Hall's big league journey told in short film

January 27th, 2023

“I don’t want him to ever forget where he came from and how he got there.”

It’s important to Stacey Cooper that her son, , remembers his path from the small town of Valdosta, Ga., to Major League Baseball. A lot of work went into the left-hander’s baseball career long before he made his big league debut with the Orioles in 2022.

Now, everybody can learn about the 24-year-old’s journey.

The O’s released “Putting Down Roots: The DL Hall Story” on their YouTube channel and Orioles.com on Thursday night. The 20-minute documentary dives into the path that Hall took from his early life to his high school days to becoming a professional ballplayer.

“DL was never an ‘if’ guy, it was just a ‘when.’ He’s always been, ‘When I do this, when I get to the big leagues,’” Hall’s father, Stevie, says in the documentary.

In addition to Hall and both of his parents, the documentary features his friends Justin Williams and Wesley Veal as well as Bart Shuman, who was Hall’s baseball coach in high school. Hall was a standout for the Valdosta Wildcats, leading to Baltimore selecting him with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Hall, who is the No. 4 left-handed pitching prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, reached the Majors for the first time last season. He posted a 5.93 ERA in 11 games (one start), but he thrived while working out of the Orioles’ bullpen down the stretch, recording a 1.04 ERA over his final eight appearances.

Prior to that, Hall impressed while climbing the levels of Baltimore’s Minor League system from 2017-22. He also overcame numerous injuries, something he hadn’t truly dealt with before becoming a pro.

It’s all featured in the documentary, which is a must-watch for O’s fans who want to learn more about one of the organization’s rising stars.

“Looking forward to sharing a piece of my story. Hope you all like it!” Hall tweeted on Wednesday.