FORT WORTH, Texas -- It should come as little surprise what the Orioles decided to do with their first three picks in the 2024 MLB Draft, which began Sunday at Cowtown Coliseum.

They again used their opening selection on a college position player -- and then, they took two more of that ilk while raiding some of the top ACC talent in the 2024 class.

Baltimore took University of North Carolina center fielder Vance Honeycutt with the No. 22 overall pick, adding another toolsy position player to a Minor League system that has developed and churned them out in recent years. Honeycutt could be the next success story for the O’s.

Later in the night, the Orioles stuck with their preferred type of early-Draft targets, adding a pair of University of Virginia standouts -- shortstop Griff O'Ferrall (No. 32) and catcher Ethan Anderson (No. 61). O’Ferrall was taken with the prospect promotion incentive selection that the O’s were awarded for Gunnar Henderson winning the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year Award.

“We’re extremely excited about this group,” said Matt Blood, Baltimore’s vice president of player development and domestic scouting. “We got three guys that are quality baseball players with a lot of skills and also incredible makeup. All three of these guys are players that their coaches rave about, on and off the field.

“Not only did we get some high-level baseball players, but we also got some really good people.”

Since Mike Elias became Baltimore’s general manager prior to the 2019 season, the club has taken only position players in the first round of the Draft, and all but one (Jackson Holliday at No. 1 in ‘22) has been from the college ranks. The O’s have taken just one pitcher on Day 1 of a Draft under Elias -- right-hander Jackson Baumeister (No. 63 in the Competitive Balance Round B in '23).

O’s first-round Draft picks in the Elias era
2019: Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State, No. 1 overall
2020: Heston Kjerstad, OF, Arkansas, No. 2
2021: Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State, No. 5
2022: Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) High School, No. 1
2023: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt, No. 17
2024: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina, No. 22

Honeycutt, No. 22 on MLB's list of the Top 200 Draft prospects, might be the most talented player to emerge from North Carolina, a school that's produced multiple MLB All-Stars. The 21-year-old outfielder hit a school-record 25 homers as a freshman and also stole 29 bases, slugged .672 and scored 66 runs, all of which led the team.

As a junior in 2024, Honeycutt had his best overall season. The Golden Spikes finalist hit 28 home runs, which led the ACC, and also scored a conference-leading 88 runs while producing a career-best 1.124 OPS as he led the Tar Heels to the College World Series.

“He has the tools to go near the top of the Draft, and so, for a player like that to get down to where we were picking, we were surprised and we were very happy,” said Blood, who scouted Honeycutt in person multiple times. “And his ceiling -- I mean, he can do everything. He’s a plus-runner, plus-power, plus-defense. He impacts the game in so many different ways, and he’s really, really exciting to watch.”

Those numbers give evidence to the quality of his skill set, though there are questions about his ability to make consistent contact as he ascends to the pros. He had a strikeout rate of nearly 33 percent this season, a career high, and led the ACC with 83 strikeouts while recording a career-low in walks (36).

“It’s absolutely something he’s going to have to work on,” Blood said.

Still, Honeycutt carries a lot of upside. His 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame allows for excellent raw power and bat speed, and his sprint speed and plus throwing arm make him a candidate to be a standout defender in the outfield. For evidence of that potential, look to his back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 2023 and ‘24.

Honeycutt already has some ties to two recent O’s Draft picks. This past winter, he was among the many baseball players who visited the Holliday family baseball compound in Stillwater. Honeycutt is also a former UNC teammate of infielder/outfielder Mac Horvath, Baltimore’s 2023 second-round pick who played for the Tar Heels from 2021-23.

O'Ferrall spent three seasons at Virginia from 2022-24, slashing .344/.408/.443 with 45 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 133 RBIs in 186 games. The 21-year-old was the No. 38 overall prospect in the ‘24 Draft class, per MLB Pipeline.

A well-rounded player who doesn’t have a ton of power, O’Ferrall finished with the most career hits (270) and runs scored (196) of any three-year player in Cavaliers history. He set the school’s single-season hits record in 2023, with 108 as a sophomore.

“He’s a gamer. He’s a really good baseball player,” Blood said. “He can impact the game defensively, on the basepaths, and he just wreaks havoc with his bat. A ton of line drives, a ton of contact, he’s a really tough out. He’s the kind of guy that fans are going to love.”

The switch-hitting Anderson slashed .341/.441/.560 with 58 doubles, two triples, 28 homers and 145 RBIs in 178 games over three seasons at Virginia. The 20-year-old has the ability to play both catcher and first base, but his bat is the biggest reason why the O’s doubled down on former Cavaliers on Sunday.

“He has a very interesting and exciting offensive profile,” Blood said. “Gets on base a ton, makes a lot of quality contact. ... He can do a lot of things to impact the game on the offensive side.”