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UNC Baseball: Vance Honeycutt among “Day-One Dudes” to know

By Nick Delahanty

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 01: Vance Honeycutt #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs to second base against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the ninth inning at Boshamer Stadium on April 01, 2022 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 01: Vance Honeycutt #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs to second base against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the ninth inning at Boshamer Stadium on April 01, 2022 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) /
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The UNC baseball star is among the 12 players that D1 Baseball is keeping an eye on for next year’s Major League Baseball Draft. 

Even though we’re months away from the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, D1 Baseball is already looking ahead to which players could be the ones to keep an eye on.

David Seifert recently named his 12 “day-one-dudes” to know, a list that includes UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt.

"Vance Honeycutt, CF, North Carolina- After a stellar freshman campaign for the Tar Heels (.296/.409/.672, 25 home runs, 29 stolen bases), the five-tool center fielder got off to a slower start in 2023 before a lower back injury ended his season on May 13. The ACC Defensive POY covers the big field gap-to-gap and was a repeat performer on ESPN SportsCenter Top Plays for highlight reel catches. Standing 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Honeycutt is a 70-grade runner with plus raw power. He belted 25 home runs as a freshman and 12 this past spring. Although he walks at a high clip (16.3% career), he has struck out at an even higher pace (26.4%) which is of high concern to the industry."

Honeycutt put himself on the map with an incredible freshman season but started off slow to begin the 2023 campaign. A lower-back injury ended his season early, but he’s still a player that many scouts will focus their attention on.

Not only is Honeycutt an elite defensive centerfielder but he’s also proven the ability to be a five-tool player as well. He can beat you with some power, or he can use his speed to get the best of his opponents, as the Diamond Heels’ star has been a staple in Scott Forbes’ lineup from the minute he arrived on campus.

Of course, Honeycutt would love to cut down on his strikeout rate this season, which has been a concern during his time in Chapel Hill. If he can limit his strikeouts and get back to the freshman-year version of himself, Honeycutt will be one of the names called early on day one during next year’s MLB Draft.

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