​Tavis Honeycutt, a standout from Newberry who has committed to Florida for the 2027 season, took part in a high-profile showcase this week as he aimed to add a memorable milestone to his budding baseball career. The Newberry native competed in the MLB High School Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, the storied home of the Philadelphia Phillies, hoping to see one of the 30 Major League Baseball ballparks in his future. Although the event marked a debut for Honeycutt that he likely will never forget, the outcome did not include a trip to the final round that Monday. He finished the derby with a total of 17 home runs, which placed him in fourth overall in a field that featured some of the nation’s top rising talents.
Honeycutt’s run came to a close just shy of the final round, as he wasn’t able to climb into the top tier that included several premier prospects. In the end, Brady Cunningham, a Texas A&M commit from Illinois, and Sullivan Reed, a Mississippi State commit from Mississippi, claimed spots in the finals. The final round for the MLB Home Run Derby this year also included Florida standout Jac Caglianone, who has built a reputation as one of the program’s most explosive talents. The presence of players like Honeycutt alongside these others underscored the depth of talent in this year’s field and highlighted the type of development path many young players follow as they chase professional dreams.
In the two-minute-and-30-second first round, Honeycutt was positioned near the top of the leaderboard, tying for second after a late surge that saw him launch 13 home runs. His performance was particularly notable because he hit second-to-last, a pressure-filled moment that can test even the most composed hitters. The second round, however, lasted only one minute and 30 seconds, and Honeycutt managed to homer four times, a pace that wasn’t enough to vault him into the lead. The final tally stood at 17 home runs, leaving him three behind Cunningham and six behind Reed. While he didn’t advance, the effort demonstrated his power-hitting potential on a national stage and offered a tangible glimpse of how his abilities might translate to higher levels of competition as his career progresses.
This event came on the heels of another major showcase for Honeycutt. Just days earlier, he participated in the Perfect Game National Showcase at LoanDepot Park in Miami, the home ballpark of the Miami Marlins. Prior to the derby, Honeycutt described the invite as “unreal,” emphasizing the significance of sharing the field with professional-level hitters and the chance to observe some of the best in the sport up close. He expressed how the experience reinforced the notion that the gap to the majors might be smaller than it appears when you’re watching the professionals on television every day. For him, it was more than a chance to display his talent; it was an opportunity to learn and grow through exposure to elite-level competition and instruction.
Honeycutt’s showings in Miami and Philadelphia continued to bolster his reputation as one of the top players in Florida’s 2027 recruiting class. Kinon Bastian, another Florida commit in the 2027 cycle, also participated in the event and tied for seventh with 13 home runs. Bastian blasted 10 homers in the first round and added three more in the second. Hailing from Orlando’s First Academy, Bastian is the brother of Jadan Bastian, who transferred from Jacksonville and was anticipated to contribute for the Gators in 2026. However, a serious right leg injury suffered in a fall scrimmage kept him sidelined for the season, altering expected impact for the program and shaping the trajectory of his own development path.
As Florida’s commitment class continues to grow and develop, performances like Honeycutt’s in the MLB High School Home Run Derby serve to showcase the level of talent that’s on the horizon for the Gators. His experience at Citizens Bank Park, paired with his showings at the Perfect Game National Showcase, provides a tangible narrative about his readiness to compete at higher levels and his potential to contribute to Florida’s program in the coming years. For Honeycutt, the derby experience was not just about the final placement or the bragging rights; it was about facing strong competition, learning from peers and professionals, and taking another step in his journey toward playing at the next level.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com, and the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at nram@usatodayco.com. You can follow him on X at @Noah_ram1, on Instagram at @Ramreporter, and on Facebook at Noah Ram – Reporter.
This recap originally appeared in The Gainesville Sun, under the headline detailing Tavis Honeycutt’s performance in the MLB High School Home Run Derby and what it might mean for his future with the Florida Gators.