Zack Collins

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Zack Collins

|image = Zack Collins (52833509455) (cropped).jpg

|caption = Collins with the Columbus Clippers in 2023

|team =

|number =

|position = Catcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|2|6}}

|birth_place = Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S.

|bats = Left

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = June 19

|debutyear = 2019

|debutteam = Chicago White Sox

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate = August 20

|finalyear = 2023

|finalteam = Cleveland Guardians

|statleague = MLB

|statyear =

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .188

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 11

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 49

|teams =

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|2019}}–{{mlby|2021}})
Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2022}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|2022}})
Cleveland Guardians ({{mlby|2023}})

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{bb|USA}}}}

}}

Zachary Allen Collins (born February 6, 1995) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Guardians.

Amateur career

Collins attended American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida along with high school and college teammate Brandon Lopez.{{cite web|author=Kurtenbach, Dieter|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-06-05/sports/fl-mlb-draft-0606-20130605_1_zack-collins-mlb-draft-catcher|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610102949/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-06-05/sports/fl-mlb-draft-0606-20130605_1_zack-collins-mlb-draft-catcher|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2016|date=June 5, 2013|access-date=June 2, 2016|title=American Heritage's Zack Collins' bat coveted in MLB Draft|work=Sun Sentinel}} He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 27th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign; instead, he attended the University of Miami, where he played college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.{{cite web|url=http://web.usabaseball.com/article.jsp?ymd=20160420&content_id=173573600&vkey=news_gsa|title=GSA Spotlight: Miami's Zack Collins|author=Villa|first=Walter|date=April 20, 2016|work=Golden Spikes Award|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424164119/http://web.usabaseball.com/article.jsp?ymd=20160420&content_id=173573600&vkey=news_gsa|archive-date=April 24, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2016}}

As a freshman at Miami in 2014, Collins played in 61 games and hit .298/.427/.556 with 11 home runs and 54 runs batted in (RBIs).{{cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article9927050.html|title=A powerful path to Hurricanes stardom for Zack Collins|last=Miller Degnan|first=Susan|date=February 12, 2015|website=Miami Herald|access-date=March 15, 2019}} He was named the ACC Freshman of the Year and was Baseball America's Freshman of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2014/06/canes-slugger-zack-collins-talks-making-team-usa-becoming-sixth-player-in-um-history-to-be-named-fre.html|title=Canes slugger Zack Collins talks making Team USA, becoming sixth player in UM history to be named Baseball America's Freshman of the Year|last=Navarro|first=Manny|date=June 30, 2014|website=Eye on the U|publisher=Miami Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713021223/http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2014/06/canes-slugger-zack-collins-talks-making-team-usa-becoming-sixth-player-in-um-history-to-be-named-fre.html|archive-date=July 13, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=March 15, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/college-freshman-year-collins-living-dream-playing-hurricanes/#e24MoGCL7Lim4TOm.97|title=College Freshman of the Year: Collins Living a Dream Playing for Hurricanes|last=Fitt|first=Aaron|date=June 30, 2014|website=Baseball America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709033106/http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/college-freshman-year-collins-living-dream-playing-hurricanes/|archive-date=July 9, 2014|access-date=March 15, 2019}} As a sophomore in 2015 he played in 66 games, hitting .302/.445/.587 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} After the 2015 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|url=https://pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=793643 |title=Zack Collins - Profile |publisher=pointstreak.com |access-date=September 25, 2019}} In his junior year, Collins batted .363 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs, and his 78 walks were the most in college baseball. He won the Johnny Bench Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-hurricanes/fl-um-zack-collins-award-0702-20160701-story.html|title=UM catcher Zack Collins wins Johnny Bench award|work=Sun-Sentinel|first=Shandel|last=Richardson|date=July 1, 2016|access-date=July 1, 2016}}

Professional career

=Chicago White Sox=

Collins was drafted tenth overall in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago White Sox.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-draft-catcher-zack-collins-at-no-10/c-183078168|title=White Sox draft catcher Zack Collins at No. 10|last=Merkin|first=Scott|date=June 9, 2016|website=MLB.com|language=en|access-date=March 15, 2019}} After signing, he made his professional debut with the Arizona League White Sox and was promoted to the Winston-Salem Dash after three games.{{cite web|url=http://southsideshowdown.com/2016/07/16/white-sox-prospect-zack-collins-3-4-in-w-s-debut/|title=White Sox Prospect Zack Collins 3-4 in W-S Debut|last=Rubenstein|first=Alan|date=July 16, 2016|website=Southside Showdown|access-date=July 23, 2016}} He was named a Carolina League All-Star with the Dash.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/winston-salem/news/four-dash-players-named-cl-all-stars-235919748|title=Four Dash players named CL All-Stars|date=June 12, 2017|website=Minor League Baseball|language=en|access-date=March 15, 2019}} Collins ended 2016 with a combined .244 batting average with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 39 games between both teams. After the season, the White Sox assigned Collins to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League (AFL).{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/afl/club.jsp?team_id=454|title=Glendale Desert Dogs Active Roster|website=MLB.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010232114/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/afl/club.jsp?team_id=454|archive-date=October 10, 2016|access-date=March 15, 2019}} He spent 2017 with both Winston-Salem and the Birmingham Barons, posting a combined .224 batting average with 19 home runs and 53 RBIs in 113 games in total between the two clubs.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/player/zack-collins-641470|title=Zack Collins Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|access-date=November 10, 2017}}

Collins spent the 2018 season back with Birmingham where he was named to the Southern League All-Star Game, winning the Southern League Home Run Derby.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs42.com/sports/local-sports/barons-zack-collins-wins-southern-league-home-run-derby/1249829549|title=Barons' Zack Collins wins Southern League Home Run Derby|last=Rogers|first=Joey|date=June 19, 2018|website=WIAT|language=en-US|access-date=March 15, 2019}} He finished the year batting .234 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs in 122 games.

He began 2019 with the Charlotte Knights.{{cite web|author=RotoWire Staff |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/white-soxs-zack-collins-strong-opener-at-plate/ |title=White Sox's Zack Collins: Strong opener at plate |publisher=CBSSports.com |date= April 5, 2019|accessdate=2021-11-17}} On June 18, his contract was purchased and he was called up to the major leagues for the first time.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Phil |title=White Sox call up catcher Zack Collins and reinstate pitcher Jace Fry |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-white-sox-zack-collins-jace-fry-20190618-3tnaxpn5bbd55fyrawq22i2sdy-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=June 18, 2019 |date=June 18, 2019}} Collins debuted as a pinch hitter against the Cubs where he drew a walk in his only appearance in that game. His first major league hit was a three-run home run versus the Texas Rangers on June 21, 2019. Overall with the 2020 Chicago White Sox, Collins batted .063 with no home runs and 0 RBIs in 9 games.{{cite web | title=Zack Collins Stats, Fantasy & News | website=MLB.com | date=2021-11-16 | url=https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/player/zack-collins-641470 | access-date=2021-11-17}}

On April 14, 2021, Collins caught the 20th no-hitter in White Sox history, which Carlos Rodón pitched.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-collins-catches-carlos-rodon-no-hitter|title=Zack Collins catches Carlos Rodón no-hitter|first=Scott|last=Merkin|website=MLB.com|date=April 14, 2021|access-date=April 15, 2021}}

=Toronto Blue Jays=

File:Zack Collins (52065435817) (cropped).jpg in 2022]]

On April 3, 2022, Collins was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Reese McGuire.{{cite web|title=White Sox, Blue Jays swap catchers Collins, McGuire|url=https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/zack-collins-reese-mcguire-trade|first=Scott|last=Merkin|work=MLB.com|date=April 3, 2022|accessdate=April 3, 2022}} On September 5, 2022, Collins was designated for assignment.

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

On September 6, 2022, Collins was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was optioned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. In 10 games for Pittsburgh, he went 1–for–25 (.040) with 1 RBI. On November 10, Collins was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple–A; he elected free agency the same day.{{Cite web|title=Pirates Remove Six Players from 40-Man Roster|url=https://www.piratesprospects.com/2022/11/pirates-remove-six-players-from-40-man-roster.html|access-date=June 30, 2023|website=piratesprospects.com|date=November 10, 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-23-minor-league-free-agents-for-all-30-mlb-teams/?amphtml|access-date=June 30, 2023|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 13, 2022 |language=en}}

=Cleveland Guardians=

On February 9, 2023, Collins signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians organization.{{Cite web|title=Guardians' Zack Collins: Inks MiLB deal with Cleveland|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/guardians-zack-collins-inks-milb-deal-with-cleveland/amp/|access-date=2023-02-09|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} In 109 games for the Triple–A Columbus Clippers, he batted .255/.364/.437 with 15 home runs and 74 RBI.{{Cite web|title=Guardians' Zack Collins: Promoted from Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/guardians-zack-collins-promoted-from-triple-a/amp/|access-date=August 18, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} On August 17, Collins was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues to replace catcher Cam Gallagher, who had been placed on the injured list with a concussion.{{Cite web|title=Guardians add veteran catcher from Triple-A|url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2023/08/guardians-add-veteran-catcher-from-triple-a.html|access-date=August 17, 2023|website=cleveland.com|date=August 17, 2023 |language=en}} In two games, he went two–for–four (.500) with two walks. On August 21, he was designated for assignment following the waiver claim of Eric Haase.{{Cite web|title=Guardians' Zack Collins: Booted off 40-man roster|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/guardians-zack-collins-booted-off-40-man-roster/amp/|access-date=August 21, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} After clearing waivers, Collins was sent outright to Columbus on August 24. On October 3, Collins elected free agency.{{Cite web|title=Zack Collins: Elects free agency|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/zack-collins-elects-free-agency/|access-date=October 4, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=October 4, 2023 |language=en}}