World Series Champion Makes Rare Pirates History
After beginning the 2024 season on the Pittsburgh Pirates Triple-A affiliate roster, the Indianapolis Indians, Brent Honeywell Jr. is now a World Series champion.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series in five games over the New York Yankees, Honeywell Jr. is the first player to begin the season with the Indians and then go on to win it all since 1975. Rawly Eastwick was the last player to accomplish the feat when the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in seven games over the Boston Red Sox.
Honeywell Jr., a right-handed relief pitcher, went 1-3 in 31 appearances for the Indians. In his 39 innings pitched, he struck out 33 batters
Honeywell Jr. was then called up to the Pirates on July 7 and he made two appearances for Pittsburgh, allowing just one run over 3.1 innings pitched. He was then he was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on July 12 and claimed by the Dodgers on July 13. The right-handed reliever finished the season 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA over 37.2 innings pitched and he had one save in his 18 appearances for the World Series champions.
Honeywell Jr., 29, didn't have his best stuff in the first postseason appearance of his career, as he allowed nine runs, 12 hits across 8.2 innings pitched and struck out just two batters his three outings. He had one scoreless outing over three innings pitched against the New York Mets, then he gave up four runs in 4.2 innings pitched his second time around against the Mets.
In his lone outing against the Yankees in Game 4, Honeywell Jr. gave up five runs in just one inning pitched.
Honeywell Jr. was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014 and made his big league debut on April 11, 2021.
