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“It was definitely a surreal moment, seeing how my mom and dad reacted, seeing them cry,” Head told reporters in the conference call. “It just made me feel real emotional. I just love making them proud, seeing all they did for me to get to this point. It was definitely a surreal experience today.”

Head entered the draft as the 27th overall prospect and was ranked 34th overall by Baseball America. But after striking only five times in 118 plate appearances as a senior, Head impressed Padres officials with his ability to make solid content and with his approach to the game.

The 25th overall pick comes with a recommended $3.17 million signing bonus, which will certainly enter the decision-making process moving forward. For Homewood-Flossmoor baseball coach John McCarthy, the fact Head has taken such a level-headed approach to the game and to the draft process assures him that his former star centerfielder will take a measured approach to what comes next.

On Monday, McCarthy called Head “most deserving” in terms of his effort and attitude on a daily basis. He said that as the attention surrounding him amped up throughout his high school career, Head never was fazed by the spotlight and remained dedicated to making his game better.

“What made the situation more special was how down-to-earth Dillon was and how much of a leader he was,” McCarthy told Patch on Monday. “Just with the attitude he brought day in and day out, he was just a rare kid that bought into the program and was really, really loyal to H-F baseball and did things the right way.

“In the simplest form, he was a great teammate.”

Padres General Manager A.J. Preller told reporters on Sunday night that he believes Head has game-changing ability between his defensive versatility and extra-base ability from an offensive standpoint. Preller says that Head possesses an explosive athletic burst that gives him the ability to impact a game in a number of ways.

But in addition to his talent on the field, McCarthy says that Head’s humility and his willingness to work within a program’s system was also part of what made him so attractive among Padres scouts and front office members.

While the Padres kept him among their top options for the first round of the draft day, McCarthy said that Head really did his best to limit the anxiety that comes with trying to read too much into what would happen as the draft neared.

McCarthy said Head had already enrolled in summer classes at Clemson as a way of preparing himself for college life if the draft didn’t play out the way he hoped. But now off the draft board following Sunday night’s selection, it will be up to Head and his family to decide what happens next.

“What the future holds for him is that he’s a great, great baseball player that continues to get better,” McCarthy told Patch. “I think we understand that this is a great opportunity for Dillon and so I’m interested to see if he takes it and runs with it.

“But the City of San Diego is going to get a great human being, a great kid that is going to be a great ambassador for that city for many years to come.”

Head told reporters on Sunday night that he will ponder his immediate future but said that he remains grateful to the Padres for drafting him and giving him the opportunity to play in a city he calls “his favorite place on earth.”

But minutes after the Padres changed his life with one phone call, Head wasn’t committing to anything just yet.

“We’ll see what happens in these next few days,” Head said Sunday night.

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