Orioles Prospects Ike Irish, Vance Honeycutt Mashing Early in Arizona Fall League

This could be a good sign for 2027

Auburn Tigers' Ike Irish (18) jokes with the dugout from third against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils during the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday May 30, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 2026 Arizona Fall League season started last week, and two of the Baltimore Orioles' first-round picks in recent years are already putting their slugging potential on display.

Ike Irish and Vance Honeycutt are tied atop the early Arizona Fall League home run leaderboard with two long balls each. Honeycutt, Baltimore's first-round draft pick in 2024, has two homers and five walks in three games this fall. Irish, the Orioles' 2025 first-round pick, has also launched two home runs and is 6-for-18 in his first four Arizona Fall League games.

While Irish and Honeycutt both spent time with the High-A Frederick Keys in 2026, the two Orioles prospects produced drastically different offensive numbers at that level. But now, the young first-rounders have the chance to continue their development in the Arizona Fall League and set themselves up for success in 2027.

How did Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish play in 2026?

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; Vance Honeycutt is drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the 22nd pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In 2026, Honeycutt hit .208 with 15 homers, 44 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases in 83 minor league games. But that doesn't paint the full picture of the 23-year-old's latest season. The 2024 22nd overall pick hit .182 in 63 High-A games this year. After being promoted to the Chesapeake Baysox in August, though, the young outfielder had a .288 batting average and a .997 OPS in 20 Double-A games.

Meanwhile, Irish spent all of 2026 with the Frederick Keys. In 76 High-A games this year, the 22-year-old had a .286 batting average, a .388 on-base percentage, and a .916 OPS with 16 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. The Baltimore prospect played just 20 Single-A games in 2025 after being drafted with the 19th overall pick out of Auburn, so he produced those solid offensive numbers in his first extended taste of minor league action.

The Orioles revamped their farm system at the trade deadline this year, largely thanks to the blockbuster deal that sent catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox. As two of Baltimore's first-round picks over the last three years, many fans will be curious to see whether Irish and Honeycutt will develop into potential key pieces of the franchise's future.