GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s not written on paper, but Zack Collins has the list etched in his mind.
It’s the list of doubters.
“People have been saying I can’t catch for as long as I can remember,” said Collins, the Chicago White Sox’s first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) last June. “I use it as motivation, 100 percent.”
Is Collins going to be the next Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez behind the plate? Not likely, but the more he plays the demanding position, the better he gets.
“I was a lot worse as a catcher a couple year ago,” Collins admitted. “I kind of understood it because my bat kind of overshadowed my defense. It’s tough because a lot people look at me as an offensive catcher. When you’re looking at guy play and you think he’s an offensive catcher, your mind automatically says, ‘He can’t really catch.’
“I’ve been trying to prove a lot of people wrong, and so far I’ve gotten a lot better. I still want to be that offensive catcher in the big leagues, but I’ve definitely been working hard on my defense, and I’m really happy with how it’s come along.”
Nick Hostetler is the Sox’s new amateur scouting director, and the 2016 season was his first full year on the job. Hostetler pushed the White Sox to draft Collins, and not just because he was a standout hitter at the University of Miami (Florida).
“No question in my mind he’s going to be a catcher,” Hostetler said. “We evaluated him as a catcher. We feel he’s going to be a middle-of-the-order impact bat. Solid average catch-and-throw guy.”
Now that he is a full-time baseball player, Collins has the time to work on his defensive game.
He also has the motivation.
“I see a lot of guys that said I wouldn’t be a catcher in the big leagues coming out of high school and now I’m kind of laughing at them because I’m on my way,” said Collins, who played three games with the Arizona Rookie League White Sox and 36 games with high Class A Winston-Salem after signing last season.
“It’s definitely been a fun journey. I’ve kind of had to prove people wrong at every level. Out of high school they didn’t think I’d catch. In college, they didn’t think I’d catch, and I did. Now I’m catching in pro ball. Just a couple more steps to go and I’m pretty excited for it.”
Spencer Adams, one of the Sox’s top pitching prospects, was with Winston-Salem last season and Collins caught one of his starts.
“He seemed pretty comfortable back there,” Adams said. “We weren’t completely on the same page, but he was really good receiving the ball, really smooth. This spring he looks really good. It looks like he’s dropped a few pounds. He is still receiving the ball really good. I think he’s going to be a good fit back there.”
Collins agrees. Just ask him.
“You always need to progress and improve, but, in my opinion, I’m ready to catch in the big leagues,” Collins said. “I think I’m ready now, but obviously you need the time and experience. You need to get to know everybody. Looking around the clubhouse and seeing so many young guys, I was fortunate to play with a lot of them before here.
“Now that we’re all on one team, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think (Rick) Renteria has been a great hire as the manager. He’s definitely going to bring this team together as one, and I think we’ll do big things.”
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