Baseball draft celebration scene.
FORT WORTH, Texas – UNC junior Vance Honeycutt was selected 22nd overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday. This marks an important milestone for the University of North Carolina as Honeycutt becomes the first Tar Heel to be drafted in the first round since Aaron Sabato in 2020.
During his junior season in 2024, Honeycutt helped lead the Tar Heels back to the College World Series for the first time since 2018. The Salisbury, N.C. native had an outstanding performance, earning First Team All-America honors in 2024 and being named to the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
Honeycutt tied for the ACC lead in home runs with a program-record 28, while also leading the league in runs with 88. His season included a career-best .318 batting average, 70 RBIs, and the third-highest single-season slugging percentage (.714) in program history.
With Honeycutt’s selection, the University of North Carolina has now had 25 first-round picks, including 12 since 2006. This places UNC among the top institutions for producing first-round MLB Draft picks in NCAA history.
In addition, the Tar Heels have seen 17 players selected in the primary June Draft, tying them for the fifth-most among all NCAA institutions. Honeycutt’s achievement adds to the rich tradition of UNC baseball and showcases the program’s ability to develop top talent.
The MLB Draft will continue on Monday with rounds 3-10, followed by rounds 11-20 on Tuesday. While there will be no live television coverage on the second and third days, fans can stream the final 17 rounds on MLB.com to follow the remaining selections.
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