Mets Draft - Pick 6.174 - 1B -Corey Collins - Georgia

 

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Another former Georgia Bulldogs baseball standout has heard his name called. Former first baseman Corey Collins was selected by the New York Mets with the No. 173 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Georgia finished the 2024 campaign as one of the top programs in the SEC and college baseball with a 43-17 overall record and going 17-13 in conference play. Collins played a huge role in that success. The first baseman was second on the team in a handful of significant batting statistics. Collins finished the year only behind superstar third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon in batting average (.354), OPS (1.346), and home runs (20). He also finished towards the top of Georgia’s leaderboard in runs (55), hits (56), and RBIs (58) despite missing a handful of games this season.

Collins leaves Athens with a handful of awards and recognition. The senior from Suwanee, GA, was named a Second-Team All-American first baseman by Baseball America. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Athens Regional and was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team. Collins leaves Georgia with a share of the most home runs in a single game record, accomplishing the feat in Georgia’s 18-6 win against Wofford in mid-March.

 

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Round 6, No. 173 Overall

Corey Collins, 1B, Georgia

Notable Skill: Collins is a classic left-handed slugger who uses his 6-foot-3, 236-pound frame to pull baseballs over the fence. The power is real, as is the plate discipline, as Collins led the nation with a .574 on-base percentage this past season. Collins also ranked 25th in the NCAA in slugging percentage. The league leader in that department? That was Rockies No. 3 overall pick Charlie Condon, who regularly hit behind Collins in Georgia’s batting order.

Fun Fact: Collins was a high school catcher who continued to moonlight behind the plate at Georgia. The Mets aren’t ruling out some catching reps for Collins in the pros, but he’s more likely to end up at first base.

Quotable: “We love the power. He had a really good year, breakout season. We think the left-handed power is going to play.” -- Mets director of amateur scouting Drew Toussaint

 

https://sny.tv/articles/latest-mets-picks-2024-mlb-draft

Round 6, Pick No. 173: 1B Corey Collins, Georgia

Collins is a left-handed hitting senior signing who is coming off a stellar showing and built a tremendous track record during his four collegiate seasons with the Bulldogs.

He was named a Second Team All-American after posting a ridiculous .354 average with six doubles, 20 homers, an incredible .554 on-base percentage, and a 1.346 OPS across 52 games.

“We love the power,” Mets director of amateur scouting Drew Toussaint said. “He had a really good year, a breakout season. We think the left-handed power is gonna play.”

Collins spent some time at catcher, but the plan is to play him at first base, but, “versatility is always a good thing,” Toussaint added.

 

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Player: Corey Collins

Position: 1B

School: Georgia

Measurables: 6ft. 3in., 236lbs

Stats: .289/.443/.548 45HR 152RBI

Scouting Report: Collins had one of the highest offensive ceilings among catchers in the 2020 high school crop, but he wasn't signable away from a Georgia commitment and went unselected. He mostly DHed in his first two college seasons and was an outfielder/catcher in an injury-shortened third, never producing as originally anticipated. He has tightened up his left-handed stroke and played with more confidence during a breakout senior season, slashing 354/.574/.772 with 20 homers while ranking first in NCAA Division I in on-base percentage and sixth in OPS (1.346).

Collins still focuses almost exclusively on launching balls to his pull side, but his shorter stroke has enabled him to make more consistent hard contact and get the most out of his plus raw power. His bat speed allows him to catch up to the fastball and he has feasted on heaters while hitting in front of potential No. 1 overall pick Charlie Condon. He's also no longer helpless against breaking balls and changeups. He works deep counts and excels at getting on base via walks and being hit by pitches.

Though Collins has solid arm strength, he lacks the receiving ability to catch at the next level and barely has played behind the plate in 2024. His below-average speed makes the outfield corners a stretch, but he has worked hard to make the transition to first base this spring. If he continues to improve, he could become an average defender at first. (per MLB Pipeline)

 

Mack – Think big time power bat.

Followed him throughout Georgia. Stayed back a year to heal and work on his game.

Collins will never win a Gold Glove. In fact, he’s running out of positions to try and master. I see him a future DH with huge power potential.

There’s no reason to plan on only using old stars in the DH role. It’s a real lineup position now and Collins has the potential to be ready to do that by 2027.