Zack Collins

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Collins as an amateur was lauded for his combination of plate discipline and power, both of which have shown up throughout his minor league career. He's got by far the best knowledge of the strike zone in the system, despite a large amount of strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins' extreme plate discipline plays like a double-edged sword. One the one hand, he sees a ton of pitches and works walks. On the other, getting deep into counts leads to strikeouts. He has a hand hitch in his swing that, when everything is right, can be counteracted with quick hands through the zone. He has plenty of raw power but needs to make more contact to get to it more often. He's a subpar defender who has a strong throwing arm but slow-twitch mechanics that make it difficult for him to catch runners trying to steal. He could also stand to sharpen his receiving skills.
  
  THE FUTURE: Collins was the third catcher in 2020, behind Yasmani Grandal and James McCann, but could move up with McCann gone. He has the ceiling of backup with more impact offensively.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #15 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Collins stood out at Miami for three seasons before the White Sox selected him with the 10th overall pick in 2016 and signed him for $3,386,000. He jumped almost immediately to high Class A Winston-Salem in his debut season and then spent another 101 games there in his first full season as a pro. Collins made his big league debut on June 19 and hit his first MLB home run two days later.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins has shown a classic three-true-outcomes skill set throughout his professional career—roughly half of his 1,533 minor league plate appearances have ended in either a strikeout, walk or home run. He has the best strike-zone discipline of any player in the system, but his willingness to work deep in counts leads to plenty of strikeouts as well. Collins has a timing mechanism in his swing that he counteracts with quick hands. He shows plus power to the opposite field. Collins is a well-below average defender behind the plate whose footwork and poor receiving get him in trouble. He has an above-average throwing arm, but his mechanics sometimes make it difficult to catch potential basestealers.
  
  THE FUTURE: After a breakout season from James McCann, the White Sox doubled down by adding free agent Yasmani Grandal on a four-year deal and placing fellow catcher Yermin Mercedes on their 40-man roster. Collins might need to get better at first base if he wants a long-term role in the big leagues.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #12 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: After three stellar seasons at Miami, the White Sox selected Collins in the first round in 2016 and signed him for $3,380,600. He quickly jumped to high Class A Winston-Salem, and spent 137 of his first 140 pro games with the Dash before moving to Double-A late in 2017. He spent all of 2018 in Birmingham, where he showed flashes of his potential in between fallow stretches.
  
  Scouting Report: Collins’ best tool is his batting eye. His 101 walks in 2018 were the second-most in the minors, and his knowledge of the strike zone has helped him boost his on-base percentage significantly. His hit tool is not likely to be average and still needs refinement both in approach and mechanics. His swing starts with a deep, exaggerated load that can leave him vulnerable to hard fastballs. He also has a tendency to get out of a natural opposite-field swing and instead try to pull everything with his double-plus raw power. The White Sox are committed to developing Collins as a catcher, but outside evaluators wonder if he might need to move to first base. He made strides as a game-caller, but needs serious improvement as a receiver. He struggles simply catching the ball at times, and his poor footwork forces his above-average arm strength to play down.
  
  The Future: After an entire season at Double-A Birmingham, Collins is likely to move to Triple-A Charlotte in 2019. With serious improvements to his defense, he could be an offensive-minded catcher.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #6 prospect in 2018
  Collins earned a reputation as one of the best offensive catchers in the country at Miami and was drafted ninth overall by the White Sox in 2016. He signed for $3,380,600 and moved quickly in his first full season, reporting straight to high Class A Winston-Salem and finishing the year at Double-A Birmingham, posting a combined .816 OPS. Collins is divisive, but everybody sees his nearly unmatched batting eye and pole-to-pole power. It's an excellent starting point, but not everyone is convinced he'll hit for average, especially after he hit .224 in his debut year. Collins has a bat tip at the beginning of his swing, which diminishes his ability to get to hard fastballs. He re-tooled his swing in the instructional league, making it quieter to get in a better position to hit. Collins worked diligently on his defense throughout the season and needs to continue. He struggles with velocity and presents pitches poorly, turning strikes into balls. He's improved with blocking but has work to do with his agility. Collins' arm ranges from average to plus on throws to second, and improved footwork would make his arm play up. Collins will return to Double-A to start 2018 and continue working to improve his contact skills and defense. If it all comes together, he could be an offensive-minded everyday catcher.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #4 prospect in 2017
  Collins claimed the BA college Freshman of the Year award at Miami in 2014 after batting .298 with 11 home runs in a down year for offense in college baseball. In his draft year he batted .363/.544/.668 and drew 78 walks, the most of any Division I player since 2011. He focused on improving as a receiver as his junior year approached, encouraging the White Sox enough to make him the 10th overall pick in 2016. While Collins' calling card will always be his offense, his defensive progress was exceptional his junior year, and he particularly impressed evaluators with his soft hands and framing technique. His footwork is what holds him back from being an average defender. Collins has a thick, muscle-filled lower half and isn't nimble. Regardless of what kind of defensive player he ends up being, his offense will play. He has a rare combination of strength and bat speed, giving him plus power. In his pro debut, he showed the ability to drive the ball out to left-center field or turn on mistake pitches on the inner half. Collins has a patient approach at the plate, with elite strike-zone awareness and an uncanny idea of which pitches he can do damage with. He will look to continue refining his defense as he progresses to the upper minors. He likely will advance to Double-A Birmingham in 2017, and could be on the fast track to Chicago as the club's answer at catcher.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #16 prospect in 2016 draft
  Collins has had a prolific career at Miami since deciding to attend school and pass on signing with the Reds as a 27th round pick in 2013. He was the Freshman of the Year in 2014 and continued producing at an elite rate throughout his career for the Hurricanes. Through April, he was hitting .417/.580/.713 with nine home runs while serving as Miami's regular catcher. Collins has plus power, and does a good job of getting to it in game action. He has excellent plate discipline, working counts and waiting for pitches that he can drive. He has walked twice as often as he has struck out this spring. Coming into the year, many doubted Collins' ability to stay behind the plate as a professional. But he has shown marked improvement this spring. While it's unlikely he'll ever be an above-average defender, he has enough catch-and-throw skills to give him a chance to catch as a professional. Thanks to his improved catching skills and another big spring at the plate, Collins looks like a likely first-round pick.
• Ranked #113 prospect in 2013 draft
  Collins has been well known to scouts in Florida for a while, thanks to his lefthanded bat, strength and ability to play catcher. A Miami signee, he has played on high-profile high school teams and starred for USA Baseball's 2011 16-and-under team, earning the junior athlete of the year award from the International Baseball Federation for his MVP turn at the World Youth Championship in Mexico, as the U.S. won the gold medal. Collins has improved his body as he has matured, standing a rugged 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and has shown excellent bat speed and raw power. He doesn't always get to his power in games because of a longish load in his swing, which leaves him vulnerable inside. Scouts aren't sold on him as a catcher, though he has improved his receiving and blocking and posts consistent 2.0-second pop times. Scouts aren't convinced he has the agility and flexibility to stay behind the plate as a pro. His lack of speed would push him to first base if he can't catch, putting added pressure on his bat.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Southern League #20 prospect in 2018
  Drafted 10th overall in 2016, Collins spent the entirety of his third pro season in the SL, where he was the league’s Three True Outcomes king. The lefthanded hitter connected for 15 home runs, drew a league-leading 101 walks and ranked third with 158 strikeouts. All told, he hit the ball into the field of play in 48 percent of his plate appearances, the lowest rate in the league. Collins shows a knack for selecting the right pitch to hit. He waits for something he can drive with plus power to his pull side—he didn’t homer to the opposite field this season—or he accepts walks if he doesn’t get his pitch. He loads his hands to swing with an exaggerated hitch that turns off some observers, though he shows whippy bat speed and tends to meet the ball out front, giving him a chance to be a fringe hitter with plus power. Scouts are not as optimistic about Collins’ chances to catch regularly in the big leagues, and some would like to see him try first base or even left field. He is capable of turning in plus pop times on throws to second base, but his receiving and blocking skills are poor because of rigid actions and stiff hands. His transfer on throws tends to be slow, which encourages basestealers to run at will and at a 72 percent rate of success.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #13 prospect in 2017
  Collins has massive power down both lines. That much is not in doubt. He showed it as a collegian at Miami and he's continued to show it as a pro. He's also got one of the better batting eyes in the game, and his 87 walks this season ranked eighth in the minors. Collins' power and patience give evaluators confidence that he'll produce enough offense to be a weapon in a big league lineup. Whether he'll hit for average is another question. He has a pronounced bat tip at the top of his already long swing, and scouts think he could be tied up with hard, well-located fastballs on the inner portion of the plate as he goes up the ladder. Some scouts believe Collins can stay at catcher, but he needs to continue to work hard. He has a strong, accurate throwing arm that can produce sub-2.0-second pop times on throws to second base. White Sox catching instructors were a constant presence at Winston-Salem this year to help him refine his currently below-average receiving and blocking, and he's worked hard to get better at calling a game and reading hitters' swings as well.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #13 prospect in 2016
  The 10th pick in the 2016 draft, Collins played just three Rookie-level Arizona League games before getting tested in the Carolina League. He was a Baseball America All-American two seasons after winning Freshman of the Year. Scouts consider Collins a high-floor player because he should hit enough to be a bat-first big league receiver. Though Collins didn't join the league until July 15, he played enough to qualify and impressed scouts not only with his lefthanded power bat, but also with the target he set behind the plate and his ability to help pitchers keep the ball down. His blocking skills need refinement and his arm strength is just average, and he needs to quicken his transfer. He threw out just three of 19 basestealers while allowing four passed balls in 18 games behind the plate.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #56 prospect in 2017

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Collins as an amateur was lauded for his combination of plate discipline and power, both of which have shown up throughout his minor league career. He's got by far the best knowledge of the strike zone in the system, despite a large amount of strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins' extreme plate discipline plays like a double-edged sword. One the one hand, he sees a ton of pitches and works walks. On the other, getting deep into counts leads to strikeouts. He has a hand hitch in his swing that, when everything is right, can be counteracted with quick hands through the zone. He has plenty of raw power but needs to make more contact to get to it more often. He's a subpar defender who has a strong throwing arm but slow-twitch mechanics that make it difficult for him to catch runners trying to steal. He could also stand to sharpen his receiving skills.
  
  THE FUTURE: Collins was the third catcher in 2020, behind Yasmani Grandal and James McCann, but could move up with McCann gone. He has the ceiling of backup with more impact offensively.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Collins as an amateur was lauded for his combination of plate discipline and power, both of which have shown up throughout his minor league career. He's got by far the best knowledge of the strike zone in the system, despite a large amount of strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins' extreme plate discipline plays like a double-edged sword. One the one hand, he sees a ton of pitches and works walks. On the other, getting deep into counts leads to strikeouts. He has a hand hitch in his swing that, when everything is right, can be counteracted with quick hands through the zone. He has plenty of raw power but needs to make more contact to get to it more often. He's a subpar defender who has a strong throwing arm but slow-twitch mechanics that make it difficult for him to catch runners trying to steal. He could also stand to sharpen his receiving skills.
  
  THE FUTURE: Collins was the third catcher in 2020, behind Yasmani Grandal and James McCann, but could move up with McCann gone. He has the ceiling of backup with more impact offensively.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Collins stood out at Miami for three seasons before the White Sox selected him with the 10th overall pick in 2016 and signed him for $3,386,000. He jumped almost immediately to high Class A Winston-Salem in his debut season and then spent another 101 games there in his first full season as a pro. Collins made his big league debut on June 19 and hit his first MLB home run two days later.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins has shown a classic three-true-outcomes skill set throughout his professional career—roughly half of his 1,533 minor league plate appearances have ended in either a strikeout, walk or home run. He has the best strike-zone discipline of any player in the system, but his willingness to work deep in counts leads to plenty of strikeouts as well. Collins has a timing mechanism in his swing that he counteracts with quick hands. He shows plus power to the opposite field. Collins is a well-below average defender behind the plate whose footwork and poor receiving get him in trouble. He has an above-average throwing arm, but his mechanics sometimes make it difficult to catch potential basestealers.
  
  THE FUTURE: After a breakout season from James McCann, the White Sox doubled down by adding free agent Yasmani Grandal on a four-year deal and placing fellow catcher Yermin Mercedes on their 40-man roster. Collins might need to get better at first base if he wants a long-term role in the big leagues.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Collins stood out at Miami for three seasons before the White Sox selected him with the 10th overall pick in 2016 and signed him for $3,386,000. He jumped almost immediately to high Class A Winston-Salem in his debut season and then spent another 101 games there in his first full season as a pro. Collins made his big league debut on June 19 and hit his first MLB home run two days later.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Collins has shown a classic three-true-outcomes skill set throughout his professional career—roughly half of his 1,533 minor league plate appearances have ended in either a strikeout, walk or home run. He has the best strike-zone discipline of any player in the system, but his willingness to work deep in counts leads to plenty of strikeouts as well. Collins has a timing mechanism in his swing that he counteracts with quick hands. He shows plus power to the opposite field. Collins is a well-below average defender behind the plate whose footwork and poor receiving get him in trouble. He has an above-average throwing arm, but his mechanics sometimes make it difficult to catch potential basestealers.
  
  THE FUTURE: After a breakout season from James McCann, the White Sox doubled down by adding free agent Yasmani Grandal on a four-year deal and placing fellow catcher Yermin Mercedes on their 40-man roster. Collins might need to get better at first base if he wants a long-term role in the big leagues.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Collins continues to be one of the most divisive prospects in the system. His boosters see a potential average catcher with big power and one of the best batting eyes in the games. His detractors agree on the offense, but see a player who needs to seriously refine his defense—his receiving in particular—to stick behind the plate. He’s still produced big power this year—a .192 ISO, to be precise—but has struck out at a career-worst rate of 29 percent.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Collins earned a reputation as one of the best offensive catchers in the country at Miami and was drafted ninth overall by the White Sox in 2016. He signed for $3,380,600 and finished his first full season at Double-A . Scouting Report: Collins is a divisive prospect, but everybody sees his nearly unmatched batting eye and pole-to-pole power. However, not all scouts are convinced he'll hit for average, especially after he hit .224 in 2017. Collins wraps his bat at the beginning of his swing, which diminishes his ability to get to hard fastballs. He retooled his swing in instructional league, making it quieter to get in a better position to hit. Collins worked diligently on his defense throughout the 2017 season and needs to continue. He struggles to receive velocity and presents pitches poorly, turning strikes into balls. He has improved his blocking technique but has work to improve his agility. Collins' arm ranges from average to plus on throws to second base, and improved footwork would make his arm play up. The Future: Collins will return to Double-A Birmingham to start 2018 and continue working to improve his contact skills and defense. He could be an offensive-minded everyday catcher.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Collins was well-known as an amateur. A prolific high school hitter, he played for USA Baseball throughout his prep days and had significant draft interest as a high school senior. He slid to the late rounds of the draft, however, due to his Miami commitment and doubts about his ability to remain behind the plate. When Collins made it to campus, he had an immediate impact offensively. He was the 2014 college Freshman of the Year after batting .298 and swatting 11 home runs in a down year for offense in college baseball. His hot hitting never cooled off. In his draft year, Collins batted .363/.544/.668 and drew 78 walks, the most of any Division I player since Anthony Rendon walked 80 times in 2011. Collins focused on improving as a receiver as his junior year approached, encouraging the White Sox enough to make him the 10th overall pick in 2016. Collins had a solid pro debut at high Class A Winston-Salem, putting himself on the fast track to Chicago. Scouting Report: While Collins' calling card will always be his offense, his defensive progress was exceptional in his junior year, and he particularly encouraged evaluators with his soft hands. He shows the ability to set a low target and keep his glove hand still, and he's shown the aptitude to understand umpires' strike zones and adjust his framing technique in response. Collins has shown the ability to get underneath the ball down and far to his glove side as well as the ability to get his thumb under the ball when he has to extend his glove across his body for pitches towards the righthanded batter's box. His footwork is what holds him back from being an average defender. Collins has a thick, muscle-filled lower half and isn't nimble. His extra-large frame allows him to stay in front of the ball well, even if he can't make acrobatic scoops when pitchers miss their spots. Collins has an average arm with solid accuracy. Regardless of what kind of defensive player he ends up being, Collins' offense will play. He has a rare combination of strength and bat speed, giving him plus power. In his pro debut, he showed the ability to drive the ball out to left-center field or turn on mistake pitches on the inner half, though he will occasionally collapse on his back side early and roll over high fastballs. Collins has a patient approach at the plate, with elite strike-zone awareness and an uncanny idea of which pitches he can do damage with. He has a rhythmic swing, with a bat tip forward as he loads his hands. Collins' wrist movement gives his bat path extra length, but he's on time more often than not. The Future: As with any first-year professional, Collins has yet to be consistently challenged by pitchers who boast both command and stuff, so his performance in 2017 will be telling of his ultimate offensive ceiling. He will look to continue refining his defense as he progresses to the upper minors. He likely will advance to Double-A Birmingham in 2017, and could be on the fast track to the majors as the team's needed answer at catcher.