QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 08:41 AM)
http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=6172
Keith started with 81-100 today. He had Zack Collins at 95
Zack Collins, C, Chicago White Sox
Age: 22 (2/6/95) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 220
Top level: High-A | 2016: NE
The White Sox think Zack Collins can catch, and sent him out as a catcher right to the High-A Carolina League after drafting him out of the University of Miami with the 10th overall pick, making him one of only two college bats from last year's draft to go straight to High-A.
I don't think Collins, already big for the position and not that agile, will make it to the majors as a catcher, but I do think he can really hit, and do so with power and some on-base ability, so it might not matter in the end. When Collins keeps his swing controlled, he's short to the zone and explodes quickly from where he loads, with plenty of natural angle in his finish to hit for power, but he does get a little homer-happy and then his swing becomes unnecessarily long.
His pro debut went better than anyone could have expected, with a lot of strikeouts but a .258/.418/.467 line that would have placed him among the league leaders in OBP and slugging. There is absolutely some extra value in having this kind of bat behind the plate, but if Collins' bat is as advanced as I think it is, he might hit his way off the position this year.
Hey guys, I'm new here, guy from germany who follows the sox.
I think the sox should try everything to keep him at C. 10 years ago guys who can strike out, walk and hit for power were valued very highly (OBP,OPS era of sabermetrics) but in the last couple years that type of 1b/DH good OBP/power slugger has lost a lot of value on the market and you can get solid 1B guys with power on the cheap. of course he still has value there, especially at the league minimum salary but unless he hits like jim thome the value for a good but not great hitting 1B (120 OPS+) with mediocre D is limited if you go by WAR (often under 2 which is around league average for a full time starter).
So in the current market I don't think collins can really hit himself out of catching just with his power and patience, unless he drastically reduces his Ks and suddenly his 315 with the same kind of power because you can always buy a chris carter (or equivalent) to do the same quite cheap.
collins value as a DH/1b is not zero and it is a fall back plan but if you can get him to not suck at C that would be great. especially the new framing data make that interesting for not so athletic catchers. athleticism might limit blocking and throwing but even a non athlete could still become a good framer if you have the right personell to teach it (and inherent talent of the player). so if they could teach collins to frame well he could be an OK catcher even with so so blocking and throwing skills. of course not every non athlete can become a good framer and it is still not quite clear how to teach framing. it could also be that collins becomes a bad framer on top of bad blocking and throwing and in that case he indeed would be unplayable at C and needs to go back to plan B but you should give him all the time to learn framing (and get his throwing and blocking to non terrible).
I would definitely give him all the time he needs because a 260 bat with walks and power but no baserunning or defensive value still plays at the MLB level but is not as valuable as it used to be.
