Collins Is Just a Kid in the Big Leagues
Former Miami Hurricanes outfielder Willie Abreu describes lifelong friend Zack Collins as a “big kid.”
Even after making his MLB debut at age 24 in 2019, Collins is still the same the kid.
“I’ve always had a passion for anything with a motor,” said Collins, who was selected 10th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft. “My dad and I would always be working on some type of vehicle so I got into the whole RC thing when I was a kid and I’ve always loved it.”
Baseball, family and remote-control devices bring Collins joy. He owns remote-control cars, trucks and planes and loves jet skiing.
More importantly, Collins has a zest for life.
“He always has a smile on his face. He enjoys what he’s doing,” legendary Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Morris said.
Collins started playing T-ball when he was three years old. And even at a young age, he had a knack for hitting.
The Pembroke, Pines, Fla., native and his family were regulars at Mark Light Field. Collins grew up a diehard Canes fan, participating in the Hurricanes’ Baseball Buddies program and summer camps.
Throughout his childhood, he excelled on the diamond. As a rising star in South Florida, Collins became a varsity starter in the seventh grade at University School, playing shortstop, third base and pitcher.
Shifting positions and changing schools, Collins made the move to catcher and elected to attend Flanagan for his sophomore season before ultimately settling on Plantation American Heritage to finish out his high school career.
Collins instantly became a star for the Patriots, garnering Rawlings All-America honors following his senior campaign and All-Broward first team both years while at Heritage.
He was ranked as the No. 31 high school senior nationwide according to Perfect Game and caught the eye of MLB scouts.
A gifted young hitter at a premium position, Collins was picked in the 27th round of the draft by the Cincinnati Reds but decided to follow another dream of becoming a Hurricane.
“I always had that goal to get drafted,” Collins said. “I went to Miami to continue my education and work as hard as I could to better myself as a player and person.”
Despite arriving at UM as a highly touted player, Collins struggled to start his career.
The slugger went hitless in his first 17 at-bats before blasting a three-run homer against rival Florida for an unforgettable first hit in orange and green. He would fall to 1-for-27 to open his freshman season, but then Collins took off.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound catcher batted .337 the rest of the year, notching a .298 batting average, 11 home runs and 54 RBI. He ranked among the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leaders in nearly every category en route to being named ACC Rookie of the Year and third team All-ACC.
Collins received Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and picked up first-team All-America honors from Perfect Game. He became the sixth player in UM history to earn the National Freshman of the Year Award, joining Alex Fernandez, Pat Burrell, Kevin Howard, Ryan Braun and Chris Hernandez.
“The minute you saw him dominate as a freshman, the second half of that season, there was nobody who could swing the bat the way he could. It felt like he was hitting two home runs a game,” said Abreu, who has known Collins since they were five years old. “You can’t really tell if he’s going 10-for-10 or 0-for-10. He’s the same guy all the time. He doesn’t let failure bother him, it sets him apart from anyone else.”
As a sophomore, Collins elevated his game. He hit .302 with 15 home runs and 70 RBI, which were second-most in the conference. He racked up All-ACC first team recognition and his first career All-America honors before guiding Miami to the College World Series for the first time since 2008.
With all the success with his bat, Collins found comfort outside the lines at Mark Light Field as well.
After numerous games, he would stay back at the Light to unwind the only way he knows how.
“I’d walk out of the locker room and he’d have one of these planes flying around,” Morris said. “Some of the guys were so fascinated by it. The only thing I told him was to not lose it flying around.”
That boyish and fun-spirited mentality helped Collins stay focused heading into his final season in Coral Gables.
With the pressure of the draft, he shined under the bright lights. Collins became the first Johnny Bench Award winner in school history as the nation’s top collegiate catcher. He was a consensus first-team All-American and earned his second straight All-ACC first-team honor.
With the Hurricanes motivated to reach Omaha for the second consecutive year, a childhood dream came true along the way.
“It was one of the biggest moment of my life. It was a surreal feeling,” Collins said on being drafted.
“I’ve worked for that my whole life. Ever since I was a kid, I always watched the draft. To hear the commissioner call my name was incredible.”
One day after the draft, Miami opened up the Coral Gables Super Regional with Collins homering off of fellow first-round selection Justin Dunn. He led the Hurricanes back to the College World Series, finishing the year with a .363 average and a team-best 16 home runs and 59 RBI.
Collins wrapped up his illustrious college career with 42 home runs, which is tied for sixth all-time at UM, while his 183 RBI are 10th-most in Miami history. He tallied a .319 average and drew 177 walks, which rank fourth at UM.
“Zack is one of the best hitters who has ever been in our program. The ball explodes off his bat,” Morris said. “If he takes a pitch, it’s probably a ball. It’s a nice thing you don’t see power guys do. If anything, I wish he swung a little more.”
After signing with the Chicago White Sox, Collins ascended through the organization, reaching the big leagues in less than three years. On his way to the Majors, Collins earned All-Star selections in both the Carolina League and Southern League and was the Southern League’s Home Run Derby champion in 2018. He also earned a spot in the 2017 MLB Futures Game, played at Marlins Park.
He was called up the big leagues last June and made his Major League debut on June 19. Two days later, Collins recorded his first MLB hit and, just like at Miami, it was a homer. The three-run shot deep to center field off Texas Rangers’ pitcher Ariel Jurado gave Collins an unforgettable moment to begin his MLB career.
Collins appeared in 27 games in his first taste of the big leagues and he is eager to show what he can do at the highest level of professional baseball. He currently ranks as the White Sox’s 10th best prospect, according to MLB.com.
For Collins, that’s not enough. He’s concentrated on living life to the fullest.
“I’m really trying to work on everything,” he said.
“Once you get to pro ball, every step you take up becomes even harder. There are so many guys with incredible talent.”
