The Baltimore Orioles make a bold call on former UNC star Vance Honeycutt

Vance Honeycutt made baseball look easy during his time in Chapel Hill.

A three-year starter in centerfield for the Diamond Heels, Honeycutt made it a habit of putting together big swings of the bat. You don't become a program's all-time home run king by accident, as his ability to impact the game in multiple ways helped him stand out among the rest of the competition.

However, life in professional baseball hasn't been as easy for Honeycutt, as the former first round pick hasn't swung the bat the way Tar Heel fans know he's capable of.

Now in his second full season as a pro, Honeycutt has had his fair share of struggles offensively. This season, in 63 games at the High-A level, Honeycutt posted a .182 batting average, striking out 110 times in 257 plate appearances.

Sure, the power has been there, as he has 10 homers to his name, but the rest is very much a work in progress.

However, while the back of the baseball card doesn't look like typical Vance Honeycutt production lines, the Orioles aren't worried about that when it comes to his overall development. They made that well-known with their latest bold move, one that has Honeycutt heading to join another one of the franchise's minor league clubs.

Vance Honeycutt earns a promotion to Double-A Chesapeake

Honeycutt is jumping up a level in the minor leagues, as he has reportedly been promoted to Double-A.

The 23-year-old takes that next step toward the big leagues, now being just two levels away from reaching the ultimate dream. However, Honeycutt still has his work cut out for him, as his ability to be more consistent at the plate will dictate how long that process will take.

Let's face it: Vance Honeycutt is a much better baseball player than the numbers have indicated.

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Not many players can say they can hit for power and steal bases the way Honeycutt does, and let's also remember the elite-level defense he plays in center field. While offensive consistency is still a work in progress, there are other skills that make him a valuable asset, most notably the ones we previously mentioned.

In a tight game, especially in the postseason, it's an absolute weapon to have a guy on the bench who can steal a key base or play elite defense to help prevent runs for the other team.

It's only a matter of time before it all clicks for the former Tar Heel star, as he's still very young and has time to figure it out. The hope is that he will get into his groove at the Double-A level, a spot where he will continue to work on his overall game.

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For now, Honeycutt will continue to grind, looking to prove the Orioles organization right by this decision to move him up to Double-A. Based on what we all know about Vance Honeycutt, we know that his best baseball is still very much ahead of him, especially now that he's one step closer to the big league level.

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