Orioles' First-Round Pick Continues Red-Hot Spring With Fourth Home Run

You can't have a much better start to the year than this

Apr 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles hat and glove sits in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

One of the Baltimore Orioles' recent top draft picks is on an absolute tear so far in spring training.

Vance Honeycutt, MLB Pipeline's No. 15 prospect for Baltimore in 2025, crushed his fourth home run of the spring in the Orioles' 4-2 loss against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. The 22-year-old destroyed a 0-2 fastball 471 feet to left-center field with an exit velocity of 110.7 mph. The Orioles' 2024 first-round pick is now 4-for-4 this spring with four home runs, which is one shy of his homer total for the entire 2025 minor league season.

While Honeycutt's impressive homer streak is happening in spring training, the young outfielder has undoubtedly turned some heads and likely has Baltimore fans curious to see if these results will translate to more offensive success in 2026.

Could Vance Honeycutt's spring homer streak signal a return to his college form?

Jun 14, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center fielder Vance Honeycutt (7) hits a walk off RBI single during the ninth inning against the Virginia Cavaliers at Charles Schwab Filed Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

In 2025, Honeycutt clearly didn't produce the offensive numbers that the Orioles likely hoped to see from their 2024 first-round pick. In his first full season of minor league action, the 6-foot-3 righty posted a .171 batting average with five home runs and 32 stolen bases in 101 games at High-A Aberdeen. He also struck out 178 times last year, which is 46 shy of his total strikeouts in his three years as a college standout for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Honeycutt hit .293 with 65 home runs and 76 stolen bases across his three seasons as a Tar Heel. That combination of power and speed, along with his highly rated glove and arm, is undoubtedly part of the reason why Baltimore made him the 22nd-overall draft pick in 2024. But that offensive production didn't carry over to his first full season of professional baseball.

Given his lack of offensive success last season, it wouldn't be surprising to see Honeycutt open the 2026 campaign back at High-A Aberdeen. If his scorching-hot start to the spring continues, though, it's possible the young outfielder could begin the year at Double-A. And if his offensive numbers start to resemble anything close to his college production, the UNC alum could be set for a major bounce-back season this year.