Draft Targets 2 Months Out

[emmett16]

I didn’t realize Charlie Condon was 6’6”.  He’s a big boy. 

[emmett16]

Honeycut just walked off UVA in game 1 CWS

Kikey McDaniel has him as #26 draft prospect. 
 

Only player in ACC history with 60+HR & 70+SB

(Disclaimer: I was raised a UNC fan.  Entire family is form NC)

Edited Friday at 21:42 by emmett16

[RZNJ]

19 hours ago, emmett16 said:

Honeycut just walked off UVA in game 1 CWS

Kikey McDaniel has him as #26 draft prospect. 
 

Only player in ACC history with 60+HR & 70+SB

(Disclaimer: I was raised a UNC fan.  Entire family is form NC)

Using players only in the ACC, using total stats for the season, Honeycutt is 49th in batting average (.312) and 1st in strikeouts (80).    That’s a sobering combination.

Great college player.

Using only in conference stats he’s 74th in BA (.274) and 3rd in K’s (42).

Edited Saturday at 16:17 by RZNJ

[Jammer7]

18 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Using players only in the ACC, using total stats for the season, Honeycutt is 49th in batting average (.312) and 1st in strikeouts (80).    That’s a sobering combination.

Great college player.

Using only in conference stats he’s 74th in BA (.274) and 3rd in K’s (42).

His numbers are sobering, agreed. I have to wonder if there is something lacking about UNC and their development strategy. He reminds me a lot of Mac Horvath, in that he is a tremendous athlete who has not developed his hit tool or swing decisions at UNC. Horvath is making strides recently. If they pick Honeycutt, they have to believe they can help him advance these areas considerably. I do like his production with pressure situations. 

[emmett16]

25 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Using players only in the ACC, using total stats for the season, Honeycutt is 49th in batting average (.312) and 1st in strikeouts (80).    That’s a sobering combination.

Great college player.

Using only in conference stats he’s 74th in BA (.274) and 3rd in K’s (42).

Good post & info.  

[RZNJ]

Baseball America

Our boom or bust bucket of players includes eight players who have at least a 108 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and also a contact rate less than 70%. Two of these players are potential first-rounders—and polarizing ones at that given their contact issues—and all of them are either outfielders or likely first base defensive profiles. 

Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State

Hunter Hines, 1B, Mississippi State

Jared Jones, 1B, LSU

Jacob Walsh, 1B, Oregon

Jackson Linn, OF, Tulane

Grant Knipp, C/RHP, Campbell

Devin Obee, OF, Duke

The inclusion of Honeycutt and Jordan in this bucket is illustrative of the challenges teams will have on draft day when they are deciding whether or not to make the dynamic right-right hitters first-round picks or not. They have more swing-and-miss questions than typical first-round outfielders, but both also provide exceptional raw power (Jordan), great defensive ability (Honeycutt), speed (Honeycutt) and athleticism to dream on (both). 

Jones is intriguing here as a three-true outcome hitter who has the fourth-best 90th percentile exit velocity of the 156 players and he’s also the only player in this boom/bust bucket with above-average swing decisions. He’s truly an extreme offensive profile. 

Obee’s inclusion here was surprising to me because I didn’t expect the Duke outfielder to have this sort of power, while Linn could have one of the worst combinations of contact (67.7%) and aggression (37% chase rate) of the class.

[RZNJ]

50 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

His numbers are sobering, agreed. I have to wonder if there is something lacking about UNC and their development strategy. He reminds me a lot of Mac Horvath, in that he is a tremendous athlete who has not developed his hit tool or swing decisions at UNC. Horvath is making strides recently. If they pick Honeycutt, they have to believe they can help him advance these areas considerably. I do like his production with pressure situations. 

Very similar Junior seasons statistically except Horvath’s strikeout rate was 20.8% and Honeycutt’s currently sits at 27.3%.

[emmett16]

I’ve seen Christian Moore anywhere from 12th to 30th.  Any chance we could land him at 22?  Heck of a player.  

Edited Monday at 00:43 by emmett16

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, emmett16 said:

I’ve seen Christian Moore anywhere from 12th to 30tg.  Any chance we could land him at 22?  Heck of a player.  

Great stats.  No idea where he winds up going.  

[emmett16]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

Great stats.  No idea where he winds up going.  

His HR last night was 117mph.  First player to hit for cycle in CWS since the 50s.  

[RZNJ]

14 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

His HR last night was 117mph.  First player to hit for cycle in CWS since the 50s.  

Keith Law has him going late 1st round and doesn’t sound like a fan.

 

26. New York Yankees: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Moore has probably performed his way into the first round, even though the underlying tools and instincts don’t support it. He’s hit 23 homers and has a .380/.446/.774 line (through Monday) as part of the Vols’ loaded lineup, where five hitters already have 15 or more homers. I could also see them on Ryan Waldschmidt or Jordan.

Baseball America’s most recent mock had him going 19.  Some reservations about his defense.

19. Mets — Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Moore’s offensive consistency in his three years with Tennessee is impressive. He’s posted a 1.000 OPS or better in each season, has hit over .300 in each season and has managed double-digit homers in each season—with a career-best 28 homers in 2024. He did that while cutting his strikeout rate from 24-25% to 14.5%. There are real questions with how much he’ll be able to pick it at second base. Still, he has one of the more proven bats in the class and is getting tons of top-20 buzz.

Edited Monday at 00:59 by RZNJ

[emmett16]

Honeycut just hit another bomb.  This time off Drew Beam 

[Jammer7]

13 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Keith Law has him going late 1st round and doesn’t sound like a fan.

 

26. New York Yankees: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Moore has probably performed his way into the first round, even though the underlying tools and instincts don’t support it. He’s hit 23 homers and has a .380/.446/.774 line (through Monday) as part of the Vols’ loaded lineup, where five hitters already have 15 or more homers. I could also see them on Ryan Waldschmidt or Jordan.

Baseball America’s most recent mock had him going 19.  Some reservations about his defense.

19. Mets — Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Moore’s offensive consistency in his three years with Tennessee is impressive. He’s posted a 1.000 OPS or better in each season, has hit over .300 in each season and has managed double-digit homers in each season—with a career-best 28 homers in 2024. He did that while cutting his strikeout rate from 24-25% to 14.5%. There are real questions with how much he’ll be able to pick it at second base. Still, he has one of the more proven bats in the class and is getting tons of top-20 buzz.

With Moore’s performance in the tournament, I cannot believe we see him at  1-22. I will be mildly surprised if he makes it past 15. He hits everything hard, and he’s a beast of a competitor. I don’t love him on the dirt in my limited looks, but he’ll hit and have plenty of power as a corner OF.

Did anyone else get just a hint of an Albert “Joey” Belle vibe watching him? 

[RZNJ]

51 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

With Moore’s performance in the tournament, I cannot believe we see him at  1-22. I will be mildly surprised if he makes it past 15. He hits everything hard, and he’s a beast of a competitor. I don’t love him on the dirt in my limited looks, but he’ll hit and have plenty of power as a corner OF.

Did anyone else get just a hint of an Albert “Joey” Belle vibe watching him? 

I have not watched any of the tournament or watched any college ball during the season.  I’ll take a look at some Honeycutt and Moore video though.   I’m sure teams put stock in the tournament performance but I suspect the good ones don’t let it sway them too much.   Just like Denny Doyle one hit .400 in the WS and Rick Dempsey was our best hitter in 83, it’s best not to put too much weight on it.

[Jim'sKid26]

2 hours ago, Jammer7 said:

With Moore’s performance in the tournament, I cannot believe we see him at  1-22. I will be mildly surprised if he makes it past 15. He hits everything hard, and he’s a beast of a competitor. I don’t love him on the dirt in my limited looks, but he’ll hit and have plenty of power as a corner OF.

Did anyone else get just a hint of an Albert “Joey” Belle vibe watching him? 

I'm getting a Connor Norby feel. A bat stashed at 2B that has an average or worse glove. Does he end up on the dirt or is he a LF? Dude can hit though...