After a record-breaking season in which Boston College baseball tallied its most conference wins ever and highest national ranking, three Eagles are putting the program on the map with professional opportunities. Travis Honeyman, Joe Vetrano, and Peter Burns—all key members of BC’s 2023 roster—signed MLB contracts.
Honeyman, an outfielder selected in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, officially signed a $700,000 deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 14. Vetrano, a first baseman and fifth-round pick, signed a $397,500 deal plus a $2,500 contingency bonus with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Finally, the Los Angeles Angels signed BC’s former captain and catcher Burns as an undrafted free agent.
Honeyman was injured for the latter half of the Eagles’ historic 2023 season, but constituted an integral component of the Eagles’ lineup during two of his three years with the program.
Last season, Honeyman batted .304—including .310 in conference games—and manufactured an on-base percentage (OBP) of .383. In 2022, as a sophomore, he averaged .329 at the plate with a .402 OBP. Honeyman blasted six home runs in both seasons and led the Eagles with 15 doubles and two triples in 2023.
The righty batter never surpassed 164 total at-bats and didn’t start more than 40 games in a single season at BC. According to some MLB scouts, though, he possessed the raw talent needed to perform at the next level. His “outstanding athleticism and quick-twitch actions,” according to MLB Central, stood out to the Cardinals when they selected him with the No. 90 overall pick.
Despite missing the last nine games of the 2023 regular season and all of BC’s matchups in the Tuscaloosa Regional, Honeyman picked up All-ACC Third Team honors along with Vetrano.
Vetrano, the No. 163 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, was arguably the top player in BC’s 2023 batting arsenal and powered the middle of the order with a .315 batting average, which led the Eagles.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefty slugger, Vetrano piled up 22 home runs in 2023 and 18 in the regular season, which is the third most in a single season in BC history and most in the BBCOR bat era (2011–present). With 64 RBIs, Vetrano surpassed 50 RBIs for the second season in a row. Vetrano added an OBP of .407 and was the only Eagle who boasted an OPS above 1.000 (1.078).
Vetrano led BC in total runs with 53 and total hits with 69. He was also given the 2023 Tuscaloosa Regional MVP award for garnering seven hits in 16 at-bats, including four home runs.
Burns, often referred to as “the heart and soul of the team” by former BC baseball head coach Mike Gambino, capped off his five years with the Eagles by slashing .244/.403/.350. Burns played in 162 games for BC since 2019 and started in 142 of them.
Burns only registered nine home runs over the course of his entire career on the Heights, but recorded a career OBP of .340. In 2023, Burns garnered 26 walks and eight hit-by-pitches in 123 total at-bats—all three were a career-high for a single season. Burns’ 19 RBIs last season were also the most he’s managed in a single season as well.
