Evaluating five members of the Orioles' 2024 draft class
*All Photos by Grant DeVivo
The Orioles focused on position player help in the early rounds of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. They chose a little bit of everything from an all-around athlete in star Tarheels outfielder Vance Honeycutt to speed and agility at shortstop in the form of Virginia standout Griff O'Ferrall. Unsurprisingly, the Orioles also selected two catching prospects within the first four rounds of the draft as they continue to paint the picture behind the plate in years to come.
The new Baby Birds slid right into the organization and performed well for the most part. In September, I had the chance to see many of them play with the Aberdeen Ironbirds, and I was very impresed overall. Here, I am going to break down five of the Orioles' 2024 draft picks, what I observed from them that night, and provide a glimpse of what to expect from these new Baby Birds moving forward.
OF Vance Honeycutt, Rd. 1, No. 22, University of North Carolina
This 21-year-old is an all-around athlete. He has a rare power and speed combination that is going to pay off very well for him and the Orioles as he grows stronger and more experienced in professional baseball. Over 176 career games as a Tar Heel, he slugged .638 with 65 home runs while also stealing 76 bases, and he posted a 20-20 season in his last season as a Tar Heel before being drafted. This power-speed combo will serve him well on defense especially, as he has the ability to cover tons of ground in the outfield. Honeycutt's early struggles in pro ball were aided by high strikeout numbers. He struck out 24 times in 13 games split between Delmarva and Aberdeen upon arrival. However, that was expected as he had been known to swing and miss a decent bit at NC. If he can cut down the strikeouts and level out his swing just a little bit, the he will see significant improvements in his offense. Regardless of that, the Orioles have a very special athlete in Honeycutt and they need to develop him properly in order for him to blossom into a freak athlete. They need to make this pick right.
IF Griff O'Ferrall, Rd. 1, No. 32, Virginia
I'm not so sure I saw any Orioles Minor League infielder play a smoother game in the infield than I did O'Ferrall. The Virginia native covered ground, absorbed grounders like a vacuum, was smooth in his mechanics, and seemed very comfortable where he was. The Orioles already have a great infield development system in the Minor Leagues, and that success is spearheaded in large part by Tim DeJohn. I am ecstatic to see what they can make out of the already smooth-fielding O'Ferrall whose defense reminds me a little bit of a young Manny Machado. The Virginian will not provide a ton of pop, as he slugged just .443 in NCAA play. However, that is A-OK because he makes up for it by getting on base and running a ton. He is more of the traditional hard-contact and speed guy, a physeaque that works best in the leadoff spot. He stole 133 bases in 186 games at Virginia before swiping 8 bags in 13 Minor League games at the end of the summer. O'Ferrall might be one of the most underrated picks in the Orioles' draft class this summer, and every fan needs to keep a close eye on this young infielder.
C Ethan Anderson, Rd. 2, No. 61, Virginia
Imagine the University of Virginia going in back-to-back Orioles picks! That was the case this year as right behind O'Ferrall was his teammate in the form of the first baseman Anderson. It seems like the Orioles will work him in primarily at first base and DH. Do as you please so long as it gets his bat in the lineup. Anderson posted a .375 batting average and a 1.118 OPS in his final season at Virginia. He carried his hot stick from NCAA play into professional baseball. He went 15-for-15 (.268) with Delmarva before really heating up and going 6-for-17 (.353) in Aberdeen. In total, he collected 12 RBI and posted an .800 OPS in his first taste of pro ball. Anderson is a line drive hitter who likes to visit the gaps. A leveled out swing with quick hands enables him to get around on fastballs and enduce hard contact, which works well in the middle of the order. As previously mentioned, the Orioles are still trying to figure out where he will fit defensively. He played first base a lot, he caught some games, and he also had a cup of coffee in left field. He may not be catching much more as he remains behind names like Samuel Basallo, Adam Retzbach, and Creed Willems on the catching depth chart and he also only caught one Minor League runner out of 27 trying to steal. In the end, the Orioles should feel free to do whatever they want with Anderson so long as his bat develops because this guy can swing a good stick.
OF Austin Overn, Rd. 3, No. 97, Southern California
This 21-year-old Californian is another athletic figure who has speed. As a matter of fact, I thought he had the best physical speed out of everyone that I saw that night. Maybe he won't utilize it entirely to steal bases, but it will pay off in other areas of his game. He booked it down the first base line, and he covered a ton of ground out in the spacious gaps of Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium. There is also something to be said of his offense. He hit very well in his cup of coffee in the Minor Leagues as he posted an .865 OPS and a .280 batting average in 21 games. The night I saw him, he put some good bat on ball and he had some pesky at-bats, showcasing his fight in the box and his desire to tire out the opposing pitcher while getting on base. Speaking of getting on base, he does that a lot too. Overn posted a .398 OBP in college and had a similar number in the minors (.376). This outfielder has the physical structure and the swing reminescent to that of old friend Nate McLouth. Overn is a very athletic, speedy player who may have it tough competing in the Orioles' outfield depth charts, but could easily blossom and develop into a very special big leaguer one day.
C Ryan Stafford, Rd. 5, No. 160, California State Polytechnic University
You all know that I am a freak for good catching. I got to watch his 21-year-old from the Orange State catch in September, and he is a unit back there. Stafford is not a big presence behind the dish by any means, checking in at 5'10" and just 180 lbs. However, his defense will serve him well in an organization that prides elite catching defense. Stafford is never restless back there, and his athleticism and durability physically enable him to be ready for any sort of action. He has a quick wrist for pitch framing, great blocking skills, and a hose piece for an arm. Let me re-iterate that arm strength he has. He has a big arm and he displayed it by catching 4 out of 10 runners (40%) upon arrival to pro ball. Offensively, he has a good stick too. He was a .334 hitter with a .906 OPS in 3 seasons at Cal Poly, and he went 18-for-66 (.273) in 20 Minor League games this season. The Orioles need help in the catching department and obviously, it was a large focus of theirs in the 2024 draft. They have an animal back there in Stafford, and his growth over these next couple of years should be exciting to watch especially if you are like me and you love good catching.
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