Speedy Orioles Outfielder Named Top Prospect 'Worth Paying Attention To'

The Baltimore Orioles have a speedy outfield prospect that will have everyone's attention this year.

Jun 16, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center fielder Vance Honeycutt (7) rounds the bases against the Tennessee Volunteers during the sixth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have already had a recent wave of top prospects hit the Majors, which now turns the focus towards the future of the farm system.

Unsurprisingly, one of their top prospects right now was their first round pick from last year's MLB draft. At No. 22 overall, they took North Carolina Tar Heels outfielder Vance Honeycutt.

R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports recently shined a light on Honeycutt, naming him as the top Orioles prospect "worth paying attention to" this season.

It is hard to argue with the Tar Heels product being the top player to watch this year for Baltimore, despite the timid start to his professional career.

From a pure entertainment potential standpoint, Honeycutt has everything a fan would want. He hits the ball hard and runs fast, he just needs to work on his consistency.

In two of his collegiate campaigns, he was able to post at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. That type of power-speed combination is hard to find.

His MLB scouting profile gives him a 65-grade run tool, which is hard to come by. Especially so for a 6-foot-3, 205-pound outfielder who hit 65 homers in college.

Honeycutt played in 13 games between Single- and High-A during his professional career last season. He posted a .177/.250/.196 slash line with four stolen bases.

It was a small sample size, for sure, but did show off his biggest weakness: strikeouts.

In those 56 plate appearances, he struck out a whopping 24 times. That is a 42.9% strikeout rate. He was also punched out twice in his four spring training at-bats.

The bat-to-ball skills have potential, but are a long ways away from being ready for the league.

Defensively, the sky is the limit for the 21-year-old. He was a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year recipient.

His elite speed mixed with a strong arm should yield fantastic results. There is Platinum Glove potential here.

The ceiling for him seems to be somewhat near a healthy Byron Buxton that was able to stay a threat on the base paths.

Buxton doesn't hit for average, but has a lot of pop and is very fast. It still shows in the field, but he isn't very aggressive as he tries to stay healthy.

While Honeycutt is still a few years away from making the show, he is a very fun player to watch in the minors for now.