4 at-bats this spring, 4 HRs! O's prospect's unreal run continues

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Vance Honeycutt is slugging his way to a new nickname this spring: “Home Run Honeycutt.” Because the only thing the 22-year-old Orioles prospect is doing is going deep.

In one of the most unbelievable tears to open a Spring Training, Honeycutt improved to 4-for-4 with four home runs over four Grapefruit League games during Baltimore's 4-2 Grapefruit League loss to Houston on Wednesday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. He extended his homer streak by going back to back with Weston Wilson to open the bottom of the eighth inning.

Why does Honeycutt have only four at-bats? Because he’s not even in big league camp, instead coming over from the Minor League side on occasion to serve as an extra player for contests.

It was already ridiculous when Honeycutt homered in each of his first three at-bats. Now, it’s becoming unreal. Yet, the 2024 first-round Draft pick insists the increased national attention doesn’t have him thinking about homering whenever he steps to the plate these days.

“Not really. I’m just trying to go out and just play, honestly. I don’t think about it too much,” Honeycutt said. “This game is fun. Being out here, it’s good weather. It’s March and it’s 85 degrees outside, so I’m just enjoying it.”

It was an especially good time for Honeycutt when his latest blast traveled a Statcast-projected 471 feet.

“What, is that how far it went?” Honeycutt responded when he heard 471 in a question he was asked. “Uh yeah, I got it good. That one felt good.”

Honeycutt clobbered an 0-2 offering from Astros Minor League Miguel Ullola -- a 92.8 mph four-seam fastball left over the heart of the plate -- and sent it deep to center field. That came after Honeycutt swung and missed at each of Ullola’s first two pitches, both fastballs as well.

In the process, Honeycutt became the first player in MLB action this spring with four home runs. Eight players have three, but they also each have at least 10 at-bats.

As you may expect, it’s quite rare for a player to homer in four straight at-bats. The AL/NL record in regular-season play is four, which was last accomplished by Dodgers catcher Will Smith from July 5-6, 2024. So Honeycutt has matched that mark, albeit in a different setting.

“It’s fun to watch, I’ll tell you that,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “That was a great two-strike swing. He smashed that thing. It's fun to see.”

The power surge has come out of seemingly nowhere for the University of North Carolina product. Honeycutt hit only five home runs in 101 games for High-A Aberdeen last season, while hitting .171 with a .559 OPS. He’s a career .172 hitter in 114 Minor League games, a showing that has dropped him out of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 O’s Prospects list to begin 2026.

But Honeycutt believes his offseason work is what’s leading to this torrid start to the spring. He fine-tuned his swing and his offseason approach, focusing on a mindset of “try to be simple, try to be athletic and powerful.”

When Albernaz was asked whether he plans to give Honeycutt increased opportunities in Grapefruit games moving forward, the first-year skipper gave a wry smile.

“Everyone’s on their own progression, same thing with Vance,” Albernaz said. “With Honey, he’s in Minor League camp, he’s a depth camper, and he has his own development plan and progression. When it allows, he comes over. We love having him here.”

There is a chance Honeycutt could avoid a return to High-A to open the season. His start to the spring may be putting himself in a position to begin at Double-A Chesapeake.

“I can’t control that. I can’t control what happens,” Honeycutt said. “Just trying to go out there every day and just be myself, honestly. Continuing to work on whatever I’m working on and just have fun with it, and I think if I do that, I’ll be in a good spot regardless.”

Other players in Orioles camp are having fun with it. In the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, the first-base dugout was filled with guys hoping to see a long enough rally for Honeycutt to get one more at-bat.

“Everyone was joking around the dugout that ninth inning, 'Let's get Honey up,’” Albernaz said.

It didn’t come, but it should at some point. And then, Honeycutt will keep the same approach as he aims to extend his homer streak to five.

“Just trying to see it,” Honeycutt said, “and hit the ball on the barrel.”