Two recent Oriole first-round draft picks, outfielder Vance Honeycutt and first baseman/outfielder Ike Irish, will play in the Arizona Fall League.
Honeycutt, the Orioles’ first pick in 2024, had struggled in his first three seasons in professional baseball until a late-season promotion to Double-A Chesapeake, where he hit .288 with a .997 OPS in 20 games. He hit five home runs, drove in 13 runs and stole 10 bases in 11 attempts.
While Honeycutt struck out 131 times in 83 games at High-A Frederick, he cut down on his strikeouts, striking out 21 times to nine walks for the Baysox.
Irish, who was the Orioles’ top pick in 2025, had his season with Frederick end prematurely after he tore his left meniscus. He hit .286 with a .919 OPS, 16 home runs and 59 RBIs in 76 games for the Keys. He stole 20 bases in 30 attempts.
He’s the Orioles’ No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and rated 99th among all prospects.
Right-handers Braxton Bragg and Patrick Reilly, who both had Tommy John surgery in 2025, will join Honeycutt and Irish with the Peoria Javelinas.
Bragg, the No. 22 prospect, did not pitch this season and Reilly struck out 55 batters and walked 11 in 39 2/3 innings for Chesapeake. He was 0-2 with a 3.63 ERA in eight starts.
Also on the Javelinas will be left-hander Kailen Hamson, right-handers Keifer Lord and Teddy Sharkey and infielder Brandon Butterworth.
Hamson, an Australian, was the Orioles’ eighth-round pick in 2025. He was 6-4 with a 6.82 ERA in 31 games for Single-A Delmarva. He walked 69 and struck out 72 in 67 1/3 innings.
Lord, the Orioles’ third-round pick in 2023, was 1-7 with a 4.92 ERA in 15 games with Delmarva and Frederick, striking out 84 and walking 30 in 53 innings.
Sharkey, the Orioles’ seventh-round pick in 2023, was 1-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 16 games for Frederick, Delmarva and the Florida Complex League Orioles in 22 1/3 innings.
Triple-A Norfolk fundamentals coach Billy Facteau will serve as the team’s bench coach.
Oriole prospects will be joined by their counterparts from the Cardinals, Mariners, Padres and Reds.
The AFL season begins on October 3rd.
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