Baltimore Orioles Named Winners of 2024 MLB Draft

The Baltimore Orioles’ scouting department continues to show why they are arguably the best in baseball. While the Orioles’ successful draft picks are typically taken early in the draft cycle, they went with picks No. 22 and No. 32 on Sunday night and knocked their picks out of the park.

Baltimore selected Vance Honeycutt from North Carolina. The two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year and UNC’s single-season home run record holder is a potential superstar.

They also drafted Griff O’Ferrall from the University of Virginia. O’Ferrall was the regular shortstop for the Collegiata National Team and had an impressive career at UVA.

Jim Bowden from The Athletics wrote about the winners of his MLB Draft Day One and said the Orioles were one of them.

“The Orioles didn’t pick until No. 22, but they were able to land center fielder Vance Honeycutt from North Carolina… If he hits well, he’ll be a superstar. And things got even better for the Orioles at No. 32, when they were able to land shortstop Griff O’Ferrall from Virginia.

“O’Ferrall can really hit and can stay at shortstop because of his quick feet and quick first step. It’s amazing that Baltimore did so well in the first round despite not getting in the top two-thirds of the round.”

You have to wonder what Baltimore was thinking when they drafted two college players. Do they believe they can play in the near future? Does this give them the opportunity to move some of their other top talents in the coming weeks, before the trade deadline?

It’s certainly possible they went with the best player available at both picks, as Honeycutt had an argument for being drafted much higher than he was.

In the 2024 campaign, O’Ferrall hit .324/.467/.454 with five home runs. He had a better performance in 2023, when he posted a .396/.453/.495 batting average. His power numbers won’t surprise anyone, but he did have 40 combined doubles in his final two years at UVA.

Honeycutt hit .318/.410/.714 with those 28 homers and 70 RBI. He had a ridiculous freshman season at UNC, hitting 25 homers, but struggled in 2023, hitting .257 and just 12 homers.

If there are any concerns about the Salisbury, North Carolina native, it’s all about his swing-and-miss issues. Honeycutt struck out 83 times in 2024 and 90 times in 2022.

However, if he can push that back, he could develop into one of the biggest threats in baseball, with excellent defensive stats.