North Carolina opened the 2023 season at home against Seton Hall on February 17, with its two most exciting draft prospects hitting at the top of its order. Center fielder Vance Honeycutt is eligible for the 2024 draft, while third baseman Mac Horvath could hear his name called this summer. Meanwhile, Friday night starter Max Carlson has some work to do.
OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
Honeycutt puts all of his tools on display every time he touches the diamond. Despite the box score reading just 1-for-5, he was patient at the plate, aggressive on the bases and instinctive in the outfield in Friday’s season opener. He led off the bottom of the first by reaching on a bunt, capitalizing on the wet grass that made it difficult for the pitcher to field the ball.
The Heels’ center fielder is big and athletic, with a prototypical body type for his position. He utilizes just a small toe lift, letting his hands fly through the zone with excellent barrel control, and while there is some swing-and-miss, he makes enough contact to maximize his offensive potential. His toolset is nearly unparalleled in college baseball, with plus power to all fields and double-plus speed.
Honeycutt may not get many pitches to hit this season, but he should still find ways to make an impact with his bat atop Carolina’s lineup. There’s still a long way to go, but the sophomore center fielder has a real case for being the first overall pick in 2024. The key to Honeycutt is to keep the strikeouts in check, as he soared to nearly a 30 K% last year, almost unheard of for an elite college talent.
3B Mac Horvath, North Carolina
Horvath is Carolina’s only legitimate draft prospect for 2023, and he got off to a hot start, going 3-for-4 with a walk in the season opener against Seton Hall, falling just a single shy of the cycle.
He has a very simple approach, with a small leg kick, quick hands and a compact swing from the right side. With a very patient approach, he makes lots of contact in the zone and rarely chases. He’s an extra-base machine with decent home run power that began to show up in the second half of his sophomore season. While not a burner, the junior third baseman has at least average speed.
Defensively, Horvath has proven himself at the hot corner, with good range, excellent hands and a strong arm. He saved a run on Friday by coming off the bag to nab an errant throw on a stolen base attempt.
Horvath looks like a Day 2 pick, with the chance to jump into the top three rounds by continuing to hit for power.
RHP Max Carlson, North Carolina
Carlson opened the season as Carolina’s Friday night starter, but was knocked out of the loss to Seton Hall in the fifth inning, allowing four runs while striking out five Pirates. All four runs came as the result of a walk, hit by pitch or home run.
Carlson’s medium frame is maxed out, and while his low-three quarters delivery isn’t the smoothest, he does repeat it fairly well. He sat in the low-90s with his fastball on Friday, reaching as high as 94. His best pitch is a low-80s changeup with fading action, and he mixes in a two-plane slider to righties, as well. The right-hander possesses above-average stuff, but his command and control are still a work in progress.
At the moment, Carlson doesn’t have much competition for the Friday night role, but he will likely be back in Chapel Hill next season if he can’t refine his command and throw more strikes.