Vance Honeycutt’s rough first pro seasons just got a little rougher.
The Orioles’ 2024 first-round pick is headed to High-A Frederick’s seven-day injured list with a left oblique strain, another setback in a year that has already featured multiple injuries and plenty of strikeouts. Obliques rarely clear up in a week, so this figures to keep him out longer than the minimum.
Honeycutt, the 22nd overall pick out of North Carolina, has had a hard time finding his footing since turning pro. In 174 games, he has hit .175/.283/.292 with 309 strikeouts in 636 at-bats.
His 2025 season was spent at High-A Aberdeen, where he posted a .171/.284/.275 line with 12 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 56 walks and 178 strikeouts in 101 games. Even with the offensive struggles, he continued to bring plus defense and speed, stealing 32 bases in 39 tries.
Frederick became the organization’s High-A affiliate this year, but the new setting didn’t change much for Honeycutt. The 23-year-old was batting .180/.287/.346 with eight doubles, nine homers, 30 RBIs, 30 walks and 107 strikeouts in 60 games. He was also 28-for-32 on stolen-base attempts.
The slump had deepened before the injury. Over his last nine games, Honeycutt went 2-for-29 and struck out 19 times, including five strikeouts in five at-bats against Jersey Shore. In his final game before landing on the IL, he went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts.
This is not his first trip to the injured list. Honeycutt was removed from a game last month because of left quadriceps tightness, and he also went on the IL in April with a thumb injury.
Even with the struggles, he remains a notable name in the system. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the Orioles’ No. 28 prospect, and he still gave the club a jolt in spring training.
Brought over to the major league side, he went 5-for-10 with four home runs, all of them in his first four at-bats. The last one traveled 471 feet.
“It’s fun to watch, I’ll tell you that,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “That was a great two-strike swing.
He smashed that thing. It’s fun to see.”
For now, though, those flashes are on pause.
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