Orioles sign top draft pick Vance Honeycutt: ‘I like to think I play the game the right way’

On the last day teams could sign players from last month’s Major League Baseball draft, the Orioles and their first-round choice, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt, the 22^nd pick overall, reached agreement on a $4 million signing bonus, according to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. The slot value was $3,802,200.

The Orioles signed each of the 21 players they drafted and added 10 undrafted free agents.

Honeycutt hit .318 this past season for the Tar Heels with a 1.124 OPS, 28 home runs and 70 RBIs. He stole 28 bases in 32 attempts. The 21-year-old also struck out 83 times in 62 games,.

In a video conference call on Thursday, Honeycutt was asked if there was a player he could compare himself to.

“I don’t know if there’s a specific player that I can,” he said. “I think I just kind of possess a unique combination of speed and power, and I like to think I play the game the right way. Just work hard every single day off the field and trust that preparation on it,”

Honeycutt’s agent, Scott Boras, who also represents current Orioles Corbin Burnes, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday isn’t shy when talking about his new client.

“Vance is not a cente fielder,” Boras said. “He is an athletic centerfielder and in our work in the draft and doing things is that he has explosion. He has grace. He has the ability to track a baseball. A lot of guys have speed. A lot of guys have athleticism, but he is someone who can track a baseball at high levels, get there and know where the ball is when he goes to catch it and I think that’s a separator for us.

“We think that Vance defensively is, in the last 10 or 15 drafts, is in a place by himself where what he can do defensively, and then you have the component of power. That’s why I said athletic. He has real explosive power in the batter’s box and in the outfield. So, for having an athlete, a five-tool athlete of this nature added to your existing roster of other five-tool players is a pretty rare occurrence because normally in the setting of where you draft and what you do, you might get one or two of these guys. But to get multiple of them, you got to be fortunate and got to have to take the right picks.”

Honeycutt will report to Sarasota and, according to Orioles vice president of player development Matt Blood, the hope is he’ll start with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds.

“There is some season still left in Delmarva and at our affiliates and, just like we’ve done in the past, we will assess where the players are and if they’re ready to go and we want to try to get players to Delmarva,” Blood said.

Honeycutt is eager to get going with the Orioles organization.

“Obviously, I’ve heard nothing but great things about the player development and those guys that have come through the system,” he said. “So, super excited to just have an opportunity to have an opportunity to be able to do that. Looking forward to getting going.”

Blood joked when asked if Honeycutt or last year’s top selection, Enrique Bradfield Jr., who’s at High-A Aberdeen is the better centerfielder.

“We’ll find out,” Blood said. “They’re both fantastic defensive players. It’s sort of like going to a really nice restaurant and trying to choose between the best two things on the menu. So, I really don’t have a straight answer for you on that one but they’re both a lot of fun to watch play out there.”