The North Carolina Tar Heels took advantage of their loaded baseball roster this spring, with a slew of star veterans and a top-ranked recruiting class leading them to their first College World Series appearance since 2018.
UNC’s greatest success story was star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, who exits Chapel Hill as arguably the greatest player in program history.
Honeycutt’s historic career paid off with an MLB Draft selection, as the Baltimore Orioles added him to their already-loaded farm system with the 22nd overall pick. Honeycutt later signed his first professional contract on Thursday, Aug. 1, making him an official member of Birdland.
Not even a month into being a pro baseball player, Honeycutt already finds himself on Baltimore’s top prospects list. He rings in at fourth overall, just behind Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo and 2023 first overall pick Jackson Holliday.
Honeycutt became the first player in ACC history to hit 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases, he won his second consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, ended his Diamond Heels career with a program-best 65 home runs and was the true definition of clutch, as evidenced by multiple walk-offs in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Honeycutt’s North Carolina career numbers also included a .293 batting average, 205 runs, 203 hits, 170 RBIs and 76 stolen bases.
First-round pick Vance Honeycutt debuts on @MLBPipeline at No. 4 on the #Orioles' top 30 prospects list.
Griff O'Ferrall comes in at No. 9. pic.twitter.com/BmIoYjVSZK
— Paul Mancano (@PaulMancano) August 14, 2024
As of Monday, August 5, Honeycutt was playing on the FCL (Florida Complex League) Orioles. There are no recorded stats for Honeycutt.
How long will Honeycutt play in the minor leagues before his first trip to Camden Yards?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.