Vance Honeycutt is signed by the Baltimore Orioles for $4 million.
The last first-round selection selected by his respective team in the 2024 MLB Draft was Vance Honeycutt. But he’s also formally signed to his first professional deal now.
The Baltimore Orioles have signed Honeycutt, their No. 22 overall pick, to a four-million dollar contract, according to Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline.
Honeycutt just concluded his three-year tenure at North Carolina University. He played center field for the Tar Heels and ended up starting all 177 of his games there.
Honeycutt led the team in runs, total bases, slugging percentage, stolen bases, walks, and RBIs during his tenure in Chapel Hill. He also recorded 491 outs with just eight errors for a slugging percentage of.984. Throughout his career, Honeycutt was recognized with awards such as First-Team All-American, First-Team Academic All-America, ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award, and two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Honeycutt scouting report
Honeycutt was rated by MLB.com as a top prospect in the class ahead of the draft in mid-July.
They stated, “Honeycutt comes with at least plus tools overall, with his bat being one notable exception.” “As a freshman, he had a strikeout rate of 30%; as a sophomore, he reduced it to 20% (during which he was not nearly as effective); and as a junior, it shot back up to 28%. Although he possesses a respectable right-handed swing, he still has to work on improving his pull-heavy strategy, improving his in-zone contact, and reducing the number of chases he takes.
“Honeycutt’s hitting output will define whether he develops into a better player than Drew Stubbs or not. He generates significantly above-average raw power with bat speed, strength, leverage, and loft at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. He is a possible Gold Glover at center field because of his excellent arm, which is better than most at the position, and his comparable speed and keen intuition.
