This prospect isn't in MLB camp, yet leads O's with 3 HRs ... in only 3 ABs!

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles player with the most home runs so far this Spring Training isn’t even a member of big league camp. He has three homers (tied with five others for the MLB spring lead entering Sunday), and most impressively, they’ve come in his only three Grapefruit League at-bats.

It’s also a player who is a .172 hitter through the first 114 games of his Minor League career.

It’s outfield prospect Vance Honeycutt. And the 22-year-old, who was Baltimore’s 2024 first-round Draft pick, is out to show in ‘26 how he’s a better player than he was in ‘24 and ‘25.

“Last year was tough, and it’s a new year, new me,” Honeycutt said. “I’m excited about it.”

Going 3-for-3 with three home runs in three games as an extra player brought over from Minor League camp is something to be thrilled about, even if it’s exhibition action.

“Three hits, three homers?” manager Craig Albernaz said. “I like that.”

Maybe it’s something about Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles’ Spring Training ballpark. Honeycutt hit an inside-the-park home run during the 2025 Spring Breakout game played there, and all three of his homers this spring have occurred in Sarasota.

On Monday, Honeycutt connected for a two-run homer off Braves Minor League left-hander Jacob Kroeger. But Honeycutt admitted it was helped out by the weather on a blustery day.

“That’s a favorable wind,” Honeycutt said. “So just get the ball in the air a little bit.”

On Wednesday, Honeycutt went deep against Rays Minor League right-hander Derrick Edington, slugging a Statcast-projected 410-foot blast to center field. Then, on Saturday, Honeycutt homered again, crushing a no-doubt shot to left off Atlanta righty Sean Reid-Foley, a seven-year MLB veteran.

At this point, is Honeycutt trying to hit home runs in his limited spring appearances?

“No, I’m not, I’m not,” Honeycutt said with a smile. “I’m just trying to be early, work in the middle of the field and, just honestly, just try to put a good swing on a pitch that I want to hit. That’s probably the main thing, and just continuing to try to do that over and over again.”

It would be huge for Honeycutt (who ended the 2025 season as the O’s No. 15 prospect per MLB Pipeline) to keep this up and then carry the positive momentum into the regular season. He could use a strong ‘26 campaign to quell any concerns about his early-career struggles.

In his first full professional season, Honeycutt spent the entire year at High-A Aberdeen and hit .171 with 12 doubles, six triples, five homers, 24 RBIs and a .559 OPS in 101 games. His glove has always been his best tool -- and he played solid defense -- but his bat was expected to be potent enough to eventually get him to the Major Leagues.

Aberdeen’s Ripken Stadium has long been a pitcher-friendly ballpark difficult on nearly every top Orioles position-player prospect. That won’t be an issue anymore, with Frederick returning as the club’s High-A affiliate this year and Aberdeen joining the MLB Draft League.

But Honeycutt, who could return to High-A to open the season or could move up to Double-A Chesapeake, wouldn’t use Aberdeen as an excuse for his tough numbers.

“I’m not really focused on that,” Honeycutt said. “Control what I can control and let the rest play out.”

There are reasons to believe Honeycutt is poised for a bounce-back year. The tools are all still there, and he spent the offseason getting “stronger [and] faster,” while also making some mechanical adjustments on the hitting side.

It should also be helpful that Honeycutt is continuing to get small tastes of the O’s big league camp. On the days he is brought over as an extra player for the game, he and the others spend all morning participating in workouts and going through drills with the MLB coaches.

So it’s quite possible that Honeycutt’s hot spring start is a precursor for what’s to come.

“I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself in Spring Training or anything like that, but I just did a lot of good work in the offseason, and I was just excited to get out here and see some pitching and get some at-bats and see what I could do,” Honeycutt said. “Working with the coaches over here, it’s great. You get some extra knowledge and some tips that you might not get otherwise.”