Brent Honeywell Jr.

Brent Lee Honeywell Jr. (born March 31, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Rays, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox. Honeywell was drafted by the Rays in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft. After 1,298 days and four arm surgeries between professional appearances, Honeywell made his MLB debut on April 11, 2021.

Brent Honeywell Jr.
Honeywell with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2016
Free agent
Pitcher
Born: (1995-03-31) March 31, 1995
Carnesville, Georgia, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 11, 2021, for the Tampa Bay Rays
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Win–loss record2–4
Earned run average5.08
Strikeouts49
Teams

Early life and amateur career

Honeywell was born in Carnesville, Georgia, to Brent Honeywell, Sr and Sabrina Cantera White. The elder Brent Honeywell was a high school teacher and former Minor League Baseball player from Michigan who settled in Georgia after playing for the Augusta Pirates.[1][2]

Honeywell attended Franklin County High School in Carnesville, where he played baseball for his father, the school's coach.[1] He went undrafted out of high school and attended Walters State Community College for one year, where he went 10–3 with a 2.81 earned run average (ERA), 102 strikeouts and only 15 walks. During that season, his velocity increased from the mid-80 miles per hour range into the 90s.[3]

Professional career

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Honeywell in the second round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He signed with the Rays and made his professional debut with the Princeton Rays.[5] He finished his first year with a 1.07 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 33+1⁄3 innings over nine games (eight starts).[6] Honeywell started 2015 with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A Midwest League[7] and was later promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He posted a combined 9–6 record with a 3.18 ERA in 24 total starts between both clubs.

Prior to the 2016 season, Honeywell appeared in preseason prospect rankings for the first time, reaching as high as 43rd in MLB.com's rankings.[8] He began 2016 back with Charlotte, and later received a promotion to the Montgomery Biscuits of the Class AA Southern League. He finished the season with a combined 7–3 record and a 2.34 ERA in 20 starts between both teams.[9]

Honeywell with the Durham Bulls in 2017

Honeywell started the 2017 season with Montgomery and was quickly promoted to the Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League.[10][11] He started for the United States in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.[12] Honeywell earned MVP honors at the Futures Game after striking out four batters over two scoreless innings, becoming the first pitcher in Futures Game history to win the award.[13] On August 28, 2017, Honeywell was suspended for four games by the organization due to undisclosed disciplinary reasons.[14] In 26 total starts between Montgomery and Durham, Honeywell posted a 13–9 record with a 3.49 ERA along with 172 strikeouts in a career high 136.2 innings pitched.[15] The Rays added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.[16]

Heading into the 2018 season, Honeywell peaked on preseason prospect lists, ranking as high as the 11th-best prospect according to Baseball America.[8] However, on February 22, 2018, Honeywell left a spring training workout with an arm injury. The following day, he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery and was ousted for the entire 2018 season.[17] He was optioned to Triple-A Durham on March 9, 2018, but could not participate anyway in the aftermath of Tommy John.[18] On June 8, 2019, while throwing a bullpen session, he fractured a bone in his right elbow and was ruled out for the 2019 season.[19] In May 2020, he underwent a compression procedure on his right ulnar nerve, removing scar tissue from around the nerve. This surgery caused him to be out for the 2020 season.[20] Following the 2020 season, Honeywell dropped out of the preseason prospect rankings for Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com and Baseball America for the first time since the offseason after he was drafted.[8]

On April 10, 2021, Honeywell was promoted to the major leagues for the first time and announced as the opener for the Rays’ game the next day.[21] Honeywell made his MLB debut on April 11, 2021 as the starting pitcher against the New York Yankees, his first professional game since September 19, 2017.[22] In the game, he recorded two perfect innings and his first two MLB strikeouts, punching out Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres.[23]

Oakland Athletics

On November 19, 2021, Honeywell was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations.[24] On April 7, 2022, Honeywell was placed on the 60-day injured list after suffering a stress reaction in his right elbow.[25] He was activated on September 11, and subsequently removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple–A.[26] Honeywell split his season between the Single-A Stockton Ports and the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, accumulating an 0-3 record and 7.08 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched across 13 total games. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.[27]

San Diego Padres

On January 6, 2023, Honeywell signed a major league deal with the San Diego Padres. The split deal pays $725,000 in the major leagues and $200,000` in the minor leagues.[28] On March 29, it was announced that he had made San Diego's Opening Day roster. [29] Honeywell made 36 appearances out of the Padres' bullpen, registering a 4.05 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 46+2⁄3 innings pitched. On August 2, he was designated for assignment.[30]

Chicago White Sox

On August 5, 2023, Honeywell was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox.[31] Honeywell was designated for assignment on August 23 after allowing 7 runs over 5+2⁄3 innings.[32] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Charlotte Knights on August 25.[33] On October 10, Honeywell elected free agency.[34]

Personal life

His father, Brent Honeywell, played Minor League Baseball from 1988 to 1990.[5] His father is a cousin of two-time All-Star and 1974 NL Cy Young Award winner Mike Marshall.[35]

References
  1. Wenzel, Matt (June 21, 2015). "Tampa Bay Rays' top pitching prospect throws in front of family, friends from Brooklyn". MLive.com. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  2. "Brent Honeywell Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  3. Brown, Ashley (April 19, 2015). "Prized pitching prospect has Columbia County ties". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  4. "Rays pick two pitchers to end draft's first day". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  5. "Another Honeywell begins professional career in Princeton". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. June 21, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  6. "Prized pitching prospect has Columbia County ties". Columbia County News-Times. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  7. "Tampa Bay Rays' Brent Honeywell flirts with no-hitter for Bowling Green Hot Rods – MiLB.com News – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  8. "Brent Honeywell Jr. Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  9. "Brent Honeywell Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  10. "Rays' top pitching prospect Brent Honeywell ready for 2017 season". Montgomeryadvertiser.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  11. Hill, David (April 17, 2017). "Tampa Bay Rays Promote Brent Honeywell to Durham". Rayscoloredglasses.com. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  12. "Rays prospect Brent Honeywell excited to start Futures Game | Tampa Bay Times". Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  13. Lowery, Cady; Francis, Bill. "Rays' prospect Honeywell earns All-Star Future's Game MVP, sends cap to the Hall of Fame". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  14. Baer, Bill (August 28, 2017). "Rays prospect Brent Honeywell suspended four games for "disciplinary reasons"". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  15. "Brent Honeywell Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  16. "Honeywell, Bauers added to 40-man roster". MLB.com.
  17. Adams, Steve (February 23, 2018). "Rays' Brent Honeywell Diagnosed With Torn UCL". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  18. "Brent Honeywell optioned to Triple-A". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  19. Company, Tampa Publishing. "Rays prospect Brent Honeywell out for season after fracturing elbow throwing a pitch". Tampa Bay Times.
  20. "Tampa Bay Rays Brent Honeywell's career in jeopardy?". May 22, 2020.
  21. "Rays Place Chris Archer On Injured List, Call Up Brent Honeywell". MLB Trade Rumors.
  22. "Rays' Brent Honeywell Jr. set for long-awaited MLB debut on Sunday vs. Yankees". CBSSports.com.
  23. "New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays Box Score, April 11, 2021". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  24. "Rays trade Brent Honeywell, add four prospects to roster".
  25. "Athletics' Brent Honeywell: Goes on 60-day IL". cbssports.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  26. "Athletics' Brent Honeywell: Activated, cast off 40-man roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  27. "2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  28. "Padres add depth with RHP Honeywell, OF Engel". MLB.com.
  29. "Padres' Brent Honeywell Jr.: Makes Opening Day pitching staff". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  30. "Padres' Brent Honeywell Jr.: Dropped from 40-man roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  31. https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-white-sox-announce-three-roster-moves-x7768
  32. "White Sox's Brent Honeywell: Jettisoned from 40-man roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  33. "White Sox's Brent Honeywell Jr.: Sent outright to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  34. https://www.milb.com/transactions/2023-10-10
  35. Dorsey, David. "Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brent Honeywell masters "screwball"". The News-Press.
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