Multiple UNC baseball players among top available rankings for 2024 MLB Draft

The 2024 MLB Draft starts this week and we could see quite a few members of the Diamond Heels selected.
Jun 18, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels players looks on during the fourth inning against the Florida State Seminoles at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels players looks on during the fourth inning against the Florida State Seminoles at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
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When the 2024 MLB Draft gets underway on Sunday, quite a few UNC baseball players could hear their names called.

Vance Honeycutt, Dalton Pence, outfielder Casey Cook, and outfielder Anthony Donofrio are the four who landed in the Baseball America Top MLB Draft Prospects.

Vance Honeycutt is expected to hear his name called Sunday night. Many people expect the Tar Heel outfielder to be a late first-round pick after his three fantastic seasons at Chapel Hill. Honeycutt is the program leader in single-season home runs with 28, has back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the years, and was named First Team All-America this season. MLB.com's Jim Callis has him selected 19th by the New York Mets in his latest 2024 mock draft.

Dalton Pence was dominant out of the bullpen this season. He has been ranked No. 340 on Baseball America's Top MLB Draft Prospects. With 36 games played, Pence put up a 5-1 record and an ERA of 2.45. The left-handed pitcher was a second-team All-America and a third-team All-ACC player this past season. Pence had 70 strikeouts and led the Tar Heels with eight saves.

Casey Cook was ranked No. 164 in Baseball America's Top MLB Draft Prospects. Cook was a first-team All-ACC Team member this season and led the Tar Heels with 78 RBIs. He also had 18 home runs and a team-leading 88 hits. The outfielder was a big part of UNC's success this season and is well deserving of being on the Top prospects list.

Anthony Donofrio ranks No. 449 on Baseball America's Top MLB Draft Prospects. He has shown his incredible speed and talent with an ACC-leading 6 triples and 19 stolen bases on 22 attempts. He also batted .326 and had a team-leading 19 doubles.

These four players have been crucial to the UNC baseball program this season and have been key contributors to the success of the program over the last couple of seasons. The next couple of days will be very special for them and their families as the Draft starts. We will see where Honeycutt, Pence, Cook, and Donofrio get drafted this week during the Major League Baseball 2024 Draft on ESPN and MLB Network.

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