Zack Collins

Position: C
Born: 2/6/1995
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 230 lb B-T: L-R
Acquired: Drafted 10th overall in the 2016 draft out of the University of Miami
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #1 – 2016 Midseason
  • #5 – 2017 Preseason
  • #9 – 2017 Midseason
  • #5 – 2018 Preseason
  • #6 – 2018 Midseason
  • #8 – 2019 Preseason
  • #8 – 2019 Midseason
  • #7 – 2020 Preseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • Carolina League All-Star, 2017 Midseason
  • Futures Game, 2017
  • Southern League All-Star, 2018 Midseason
  • Southern League All-Start, 2018 Postseason

Scouting Report

Collins mashed his way through his 2016 season at Miami and it lifted him all the way to the White Sox at the 10th overall pick. Playing in a very strong ACC, Collins terrorized pitchers with a .363/.544/.668 slash line and took more walks (78) than he had strikeouts (53).

After Miami’s postseason run ended, Collins signed for slot on June 24 and was assigned to the AZL for a brief tune-up. The Sox promoted him to Winston-Salem on July 14, and he finished there with a .258/.418/.467 line with 6 HR in 36 games, though also a somewhat high 25.5% K/PA rate. Collins finished a long 2016 on the taxi squad of the AFL, where he hit .227/.393/.500 in limited action.

In 2017, the narrative turned as he made big strides defensively, but spending the first few months in Winston-Salem hovering around the .200 AVG mark, before getting hot and earning a late promotion to Double-A Birmingham. A rocky 2018 in Birmingham that featured a 2-for-51 start saw Collins finish the season with a .234/.382/.404 slash line.

Collins enjoyed the hitter friendly Triple-A International League in 2019. He hit .282/.403/.548 with 19 home runs in 88 games. In the middle of that he had a couple stints in the big leagues, but didn’t get consistent playing time.

After getting sporadic stints as a fill-in player in the majors in 2019 and 2020, Collins’ long-term future appeared to be as a backup. He has a strong overall approach at the plate and is considered to have an advanced bat, even with his streakiness and lower contact rate. Solidly built, Collins has (at the minimum) above average power that some scouts feel comfortable projecting 25-30 home run potential. He controls the zone and has excellent plate discipline that gives him a high floor for his OBP.

Collins was widely regarded as having the best bat in the entire draft, but the reason he was available at No. 10 was uncertainty about his defense. Before the 2016 season, the majority of scouts were convinced Collins would not stick at catcher. However, Collins has improved his defense considerably to the point where it is realistic he could be a catcher at the big league level (though many still don’t see it as the likely outcome). Collins has a strong arm, grading out to be average or a tick above. He lacks mobility and is occasionally out of position on balls in the dirt, and his receiving skills are a key focus for him.