By R.L. Bynum
Versatile center fielder Vance Honeycutt, who rewrote the record books during his three seasons at UNC, became the 25th first-round pick in program history and was the highest-picked Tar Heel in five years.
The Baltimore Orioles made Honeycutt the No. 22 overall pick in the first round and the highest UNC pick since 2017 when J.B. Bakauskas went No. 15 to the Houston Astros and Logan Warmoth went No. 22 to the Toronto Blue Jays.
He’s the first Tar Heel picked in the first round since the Minnesota Twins made Aaron Sabato the 27th overall pick in 2020, one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers made Michael Busch the 31st overall selection in 2019. UNC has 12 first-round picks since 2006 and has had 17 players selected in the primary June draft, tied for fifth-most among in the NCAA.
Honeycutt, the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, joins former UNC teammate Mac Horvath in the Orioles organization. Baltimore picked Horvath as the 53rd overall selection in the second round of the 2023 draft. Horvath is hitting .240 with nine home runs and 40 RBI this season for the Aberdeen IronBirds in the Class A South Atlantic League.
It’s the second consecutive season that Baltimore has picked a college outfielder with outstanding defensive skills and speed after taking Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr. as the 17th overall selection in 2023. Bradfield is Horvath’s teammate with the IronBirds, hitting .274 with three home runs, 20 RBI and 45 steals.
Baltimore later picked two Virginia players: shortstop Griff O’Farrall with the 32nd overall pick and catcher Ethan Anderson with the 61st overall pick.
Honeycutt broke UNC home run records for a career (65) and a season (28 in 2024) while stealing 76 bases and saving numerous runs with his outstanding defensive range. He’s the only Power 5 conference player in NCAA history with at least 60 home runs and at least 70 steals.
Honeycutt hit a career-best .318 batting average with 70 RBI last season while posting the third-highest single-season slugging percentage (.714) in program history.
Out of high school, Honeycutt opted to play at UNC after the San Francisco Giants selected him in the 20th round.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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