Faith and baseball: Rays’ Brent Honeywell keeping sights toward big picture

Rays’ prospect Brent Honeywell is set to take center stage at the All-Star Futures Game. Though, there is more to him than meets the eye.

July 9 marks the pinnacle of Minor League Baseball, a moment in which future MLB stars take center stage and are introduced to fans around the world. 

The All-Star Futures Game has featured the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Jose Altuve during its 18-year history. But, never has the Sunday before the All-Star break coincided with “Honey Day.”

Until now.

Brent Honeywell, commonly acclaimed as Tampa Bay’s top pitching prospect, has gradually climbed the Rays’ farm system. He is now in his third full season of professional baseball and is simply enjoying the process.

“A lot of people get caught up in ‘When is it my opportunity?'” Honeywell said. “Let them keep winning up there, man. It’s only going to help me in the long run.”

The 22-year-old, who throws a punch-out screwball and sinking fastball, has the potential to be a front of the rotation starter. Yet, Honeywell is more than a baseball player. He is a hard-nosed man of God who never allows the big picture to fade out of focus.

“He blessed me with the opportunity of baseball,” the Georgia native said. “Jesus Christ is going to make anybody better that lets him into their life.”

From attending church on Sundays to saying gratuitous prayers before every meal, Honeywell was raised in a relationship with Christ. Even now, despite suiting up every Sunday, he continues to make time for worship.

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“I catch myself every time. It’s so easy to miss chapel because we get caught up playing cards, get caught up doing all of the things with our buddies,” said Honeywell. “Every Sunday morning, we can’t be inside a church. It’s a good thing that baseball has chapel.”

Along with religion, America’s pastime was present early and often for the 6’2″ right-hander. His father, who holds his namesake, pitched in the low levels of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization from 1988 to 1990.

“I’m a big fan of old-school baseball,” said Honeywell. “There wasn’t a slide rule. There wasn’t protection of the catcher. There was no time clock.

“The game is changing every single day. Hopefully, I get to see it wrap back around [to old school].”

Only one promotion away from making his major league debut, Honeywell prepares for International League starts, not with a mindset of impressing Tampa Bay’s front office but instead enjoying the game which he has played since adolescence.

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“The outlook on baseball for me is it’s a kids game played by a bunch of grown men,” said the Walters State product. “Some grown men are better than others. Then you have kids, like me, who come in and still want it to be a kids’ game and just have fun.

“That’s the fun part: Going out and competing against the guy that’s in front of you.”