Making a first impression can be huge for a young player that is experiencing professional ball for the first time. For Tyler Collins, his work in 2021 opened a lot of eyes to what the kid could become. Unfortunately, with injuries and a hit tool that has struggled to shine the last two summers, many of those eyes have looked elsewhere, leaving the eighth-round pick as more of a deep sleeper. But some deep sleepers still can surprise.
Born in early March of 2003, Collins quickly broke out as a star outfielder for the McKinney Boyd Broncos, a suburb of Dallas. In his freshman year, he was named Newcomer of the Year for his district. He took over the leadoff spot in the order, a spot he manned for the remainder of his Bronco playing days. He was the 9-6A Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. After his junior year was eliminated by Covid, Collins posted a nearly .500 OBP and 10 steals in his senior season. He even moved to shortstop for his senior campaign, though it appears the Braves prefer him in the outfield.
Though he committed to Oklahoma State during his huge sophomore year, Collins was set on going pro by the time the draft neared. He hoped to be at least a fifth-round pick, maybe even as high as a third-round selection, but the sixth round came and Collins was still on the board. His agent let him know the Braves were sniffing around Collins and looked to be very interested in him as the their sixth-round selection loomed. The interest wasn't surprising as Collins had spoken to Atlanta prior to the draft along with the Padres, Brewers, Phillies, and his home-state Rangers. But the Braves passed on Collins in the sixth round, selecting Georgia State third baseman Justyn-Henry Malloy instead. In the seventh round, they settled on a different prep star from Texas - right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver. Finally, in the eighth round, Collins heard his name called, becoming the first prep position player the Braves took in the draft. They wouldn't take another until the 20th round.
A sure sign, Collins quickly accepted an overslot offer of $447,500 and headed to Florida to get to work. On August 6, he made his professional debut, picking up two hits in three trips to the plate. In the second, he delivered a two-run double and added an RBI single in the fourth. It would be the first of nine multi-hit games for Collins in 23 total games played. He finished 2021 with a .347/.424/.453 slash including four doubles, two triples, and 12 steals in 16 attempts. Not too shabby.
Collins didn't get a promotion to Augusta to open 2022. That was a tad surprising considering his success the previous year, but also not too shocking considering his age. The 19-year-old must have been dealing with some kind of injury or injuries because he only played four games during the 2022 season, a campaign that began after MLB Pipeline named him the fastest player in the system.
As 2023 loomed, despite the lack of playing time the previous year, it felt like if Collins was healthy, he needed to be in full season ball considering he had already logged two summers as a professional.
The good news is that Collins has been a regular in the Augusta lineup from the moment the season opened. The not-so-good news has been the production. Collins was hitting just .210 with a .298 OBP and a .262 SLG. Only a dozen of his 48 hits have gone for extra bases and all have been doubles. On the bright side, he has swiped 25 bases in 68 games. That's honestly impressive considering how much of a challenge it has been for Collins to get on base this year.
Now, let's talk about the bright side for a moment. Collins is young - very young - to be playing in the Carolina League. Of his first 263 PA in A-ball, only 25 have come against a pitcher Collins was older than. Here's another positive - Collins is coming off back-to-back two-hit appearances as Augusta opens a double-header today. That might seem like nothing, but it's the first time this year Collins has strung together consecutive games with multiple hits. And of course, it's again worth mentioning - he's healthy. That's a huge development.
What does the future hold for Collins? Well, some that were high on him following his 2021 performance began to throw around the name of Kenny Lofton. Others even compared him to Michael Harris II. I think that's a bit optimistic, but Collins does bring an interesting - albeit limited - skillset. He can handle center field and has blazing fast speed. How much the hit tool matures will go a long way toward deciding just how productive Collins will be. I'm also intrigued by the idea of the Braves letting him play a little more infield like he did in his senior season. Collins could develop into a super-utility option off the bench - a kind of Swiss Army Knife that every team can benefit from having.
In terms of being a prospect, Collins' flaws will probably keep him from much of a rise up any prospect list. But the gifted natural ability is something to keep an eye on.