Top Orioles Prospect Vance Honeycutt Scratched From High-A Lineup

One of the Baltimore Orioles top prospects, Vance Honeycutt, has seemingly had his first full professional season interrupted by injury.

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

Baltimore Orioles prospect Vance Honeycutt was scratched from the lineup of the team's High-A affiliate Aberdeen IronBirds on Wednesday night.

According to MLB.com beat reporter Jake Rill, the decision to scratch Honeycutt was precautionary and due to left hip flexor tightness, and he is considered day-to-day.

The Orioles selected Honeycutt with the No. 22 overall pick of the first round of the 2024 MLB draft. According to MLB Pipeline, he is currently the No. 5 prospect in the Baltimore system.

Early in his time at the University of North Carolina, Honeycutt was considered a possibility to go in the top five of the draft he declared due to his rare combination of power and speed, but a high strikeout rate pushed his stock down toward the latter half of the first round.

The Orioles were more than happy to add him to their farm system at that value, as the organization went above slot value on his signing bonus to secure his commitment to turn pro.

Honeycutt's first reps as a professional hitter have not gone as well as many hoped, as he owns a .652 OPS with Aberdeen in 46 games this year.

He has stolen 18 bases, showing the ceiling of his speed tool, but the power has not translated yet, as he has hit just two home runs and is slugging .331.

Honeycutt did make an impression in Baltimore's spring breakout game, as he flashed that high-level speed on his way to an inside-the-park home run.

INSIDE-THE-PARK-HOMER!

No. 5 @Orioles prospect Vance Honeycutt turns on the jets at #SpringBreakout! pic.twitter.com/cMn8HXUGSc

— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2025