Welcome back to the second edition of our ACC Tournament live looks, this time going over the best hitters from the entire week in Charlotte. It won’t just be designated for this year’s draft class, plenty of underclassmen performed excellently over the week and deserve their recognition. Make sure to check out the pitching edition, which can be found here. With that said, let’s dive into the hitters.
OF Vance Honeycutt, UNC
I guess this season has been the “Year of the Freshmen” throughout the ACC. From Drue Hackenberg and Carson DeMartini at Virginia Tech to Tommy White at NC State, but Honeycutt might be the most dynamic player in this crop of talent. There was no one hotter than him in Charlotte, taking home tournament MVP honors, the first time a freshman has done this since Shane Robinson did it for Florida State back in 2004.
Honeycutt has had his ups and downs throughout the year, particularly in the swing-and-miss department. He’s had his fair share of troubles with breaking balls, but he’s stopped the bleeding there in the past month. There’s plenty of power in the bat, especially his pull-side, and does a lot of damage to pitches on the inner third of the plate. He’ll utilize all fields with the hit tool, as well. The main selling point on Honeycutt, however, is his dynamic centerfield defense. I’m not sure if I have seen a rangier defender in center in the short time I have been doing scouting. His speed is game-changing, allowing him to fly into the gaps and take away surefire doubles with relative ease. One ball that he managed to get to in the left-center field gap left NC State coach Elliott Avent losing his mind. The all-around profile for this kid is insane, and the best part? He’s still got another two years until he’s draft eligible. UNC fans are going to enjoy Honeycutt for quite some time.
INF/DH Tommy White, NC State
While we can chat for ages about the transfer portal and White’s decision to enter, I want to focus on what he did on the field. Specifically, the torrid week that White had in Charlotte. White had a three home run game, broke NC State season home run record, and also broke the NCAA freshman home run record all in one week. After talking with some sources, I can confirm that this is #good.
White feasted on fastballs away and utilized the short porch in right field to his advantage against Miami, with all three bombs that night going out that way. The last one against Pitt was on a heater down and in and White was able to muscle it 412 feet to the opposite field with ease. It was a tremendous display of power. White will be aggressive at times and he battles when he gets to two strikes, fouling off as many pitches as he can to fend off a strike out. He did not play the field, with LuJames Groover manning first base and Payton Green at third base, which did play into his decision to enter the portal, among other things. White will now find his way onto the Cape and, with a decision looming, somewhere else in the college baseball landscape. Wherever he ends up, expect big things from White and keep an eye on him for the 2024 draft.
INF LuJames Groover III, NC State
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Groover is one of my favorite bats in the 2023 draft class. A transfer from UNC-Charlotte alongside Dominic Pilolli, Groover came into Charlotte boasting a contact rate above 80%, a respectable 18.6% strikeout rate, and an increased walk rate after dominating C-USA last spring.
Groover stays compact throughout his swing, leading to a short stroke and one of the best bat-to-ball skills in the class. After walking just eleven times with Charlotte, Groover nearly tripled the number of walks in his first year in Raleigh and he found more power, particularly to his pull-side, more than doubling his HR total at Charlotte. In the field, Groover played in a versatile setting under Elliott Avent, primarily manning first base as a way to include his bat in the lineup. In the past, he’s played up the middle at both shortstop and second base, though he may ultimately end up at second base next year with Payton Green likely moving back to shortstop and newcomer Carter Trice likely to see time in right field. All in all, prepare the mute button for me when I don’t shut up about Groover next spring.
INF Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
Surprise, we’ve got another freshman on this piece, this time traveling out of the RDU metro and landing two hours away in Winston-Salem. Nick Kurtz was in the running for the ACC rookie of the year award, slashing .338/.471/.637 with elite plate discipline and budding power. Primarily a first baseman, Kurtz has become a big time follow for the 2024 class.
The Lancaster, PA native has an XL frame with plenty of athleticism and strength. He covers the zone very well with a short swing that stays on plane and there’s plenty of bat speed present. He’s able to drive the ball to all fields with loft and the power likely projects closer to plus once he’s fully filled out. He’s walked more times than he’s struck out, as well, thanks to an excellent eye at the plate. In the dirt, he’s able to move well thanks to his athleticism and has a solid arm at first base. He did suffer a shoulder injury in regional play, so that will be something to monitor moving forward, but it’s hard not to love how well he plays in game. There’s a good chance Kurtz could be a first rounder in what appears to be a pretty loaded 2024 college crop.
C/DH Dalton Rushing, Louisville
There’s dudes that can mash, and then there’s Louisville catcher Dalton Rushing. A physical beast of a human being, Rushing has played himself into Day 1 conversations next month and it’s not hard to see why he’s gotta helium attached to his name.
Coming off a strong Cape performance last summer, Rushing has seemingly balled out for a potent Louisville offense. Rushing averaged close to 95 MPH on his exit velocities this spring, hitting twenty-three home runs and adding sixteen more doubles to his total. The ball comes off the bat extremely loud and he will utilize all fields with the pop. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, but he irons that out with a patient approach and will take a substantial amount of walks in the process. He’s switched catching duties with Jack Payton this year, and it would not shock me to see Rushing move off the position post-draft. He’s an alright receiver behind the dish, but I do have questions about how well he moves when it comes to blocking. That said, the pressure will ultimately fall on the bat to perform moving forward. Expect his name to be called somewhere in the second round when things are all said and done next month.
SS Tanner Schobel, Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech lineup absolutely mashes from top to bottom. We’ve talked about Gavin Cross and Cade Hunter previously, but Schobel has been the biggest riser of the bunch this spring. There’s tons of helium surrounding him throughout the spring and, much like Rushing, he’s put himself firmly into Day 1 conversation next month.
While he’s on the shorter end of the spectrum at 5’10”, 170 pounds, Schobel fits the definition of a powderkeg. At the plate, he’s shown an improved, quiet approach and has really begun to tap into his power. There’s plenty of bat speed and he’ll spray the ball to all fields and utilize the gaps often. Most of his power comes to the pull-side. In the field, he’s turned into a very good defender, showing off his range and having a solid average arm, as well. He’s not too quick on the basepaths, as his running style is relatively choppy. But the progression this spring with the bat is what has made Schobel a top tier shortstop in this draft class. It’d be hard to envision him falling out of the second round at this juncture.
3B Max Wagner, Clemson
Hey look, another helium name! I’m sure you’re tired of hearing that word now, but it’s the perfect description for Wagner, the ACC Player of the Year this spring. After a strong Northwoods campaign last summer, Wagner didn’t skip a beat in ACC play, and while his ACC Tournament wasn’t strong on paper, it’s not hard to see why he’s vaulted himself into second round talk.
The first thing that stands out with Wagner at the dish is his bat speed. It’s an extremely quick bat and tons of raw power that started to translate in game this spring. He has had strikeout issues in the past, and he’s alleviated that a bit this year, but he’s pretty aggressive at the dish and will attack the first pitch commonly. He’s shown more patience in the past year, having a pretty stout walk rate, as well. In the field, I do have some reservations of him staying at third base. His movements aren’t the greatest, but the arm is strong with accuracy. He could move across the diamond to first, and maybe with the arm he has, could see right field as a possibility.
INF Chandler Simpson, Georgia Tech
I like speed and Simpson ranks highly amongst the fastest players I have scouted so far. The small-statured second baseman transferred in from UAB prior to this spring and fits the mold of a Terrance Gore-esque player with game-changing speed.
Simpson is the pure definition of a slap-hitter with very little power to speak of. He makes his living on the basepaths, where he’s shown off his game-changing speed that rivals that of Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. He rarely strikes out and has a patient approach at the plate. He’s a nightmare for any infielder trying to throw him out, as his home to first times get close to 4.00 seconds. In the field, he’s a good defender at second base, and with his arm not being all that good, likely fits there at the next level. Any team would love to have Simpson at the top of their lineup in pro ball.