Zach Collier

Zach Collier (born September 8, 1990) is an outfielder for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.

Zach Collier
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Outfielder
Born: (1990-09-08) September 8, 1990
Chino Hills, California
Bats: Left Throws: Left

Early life

Collier attended Chino Hills High School in California, where he played baseball.[1] As a sophomore, he collapsed at baseball practice and was diagnosed with a birth defect that necessitated heart surgery.[2] Collier's physician initially did not want him to return to baseball, but Collier was cleared to play about four months after the surgery.[3] After Collier recovered from surgery, he was noticed by a scout from the Chicago Cubs. The scout asked former major league player Chris Gwynn to provide some instruction to Collier. He gained broader attention after working out at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy.[2]

The Phillies selected Collier in the first round (34th overall) of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. Jim Callis of Baseball America commented on Philadelphia's early draft choices, referring to Collier and three other draftees as "classic high-upside, high-risk players. If they hit on those four guys, they could have four all-stars."[4]

Career

Philadelphia Phillies

Collier played with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2008. The next season, between the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York–Penn League and the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Collier had 20 stolen bases and eight triples, but only a .221 batting average.[5] He missed the 2010 season due to wrist surgery.[6]

In 2011, Collier hit .255 and registered 35 stolen bases with Lakewood. After the season, baseball officials announced a 50-game suspension of Collier because of a positive test for amphetamine.[6] In 2012, Collier told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his positive test resulted from the use of Adderall without a prescription. He said that he had always struggled with attention span in school and even while running the bases, so he thought that the medication would help.[7]

He was added to the Phillies 40-man roster on November 20, 2012.[8] He was designated for assignment on June 27, 2014. In August 2014, Collier had a four-game stretch in which he hit five home runs with the Class AA Reading Fightin Phils.[9]

Lancaster Barnstormers

Collier signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2015 season. He became a free agent after the 2015 season.

Washington Nationals

As of 2016 he was playing for the Syracuse Chiefs in the minor leagues.[10] He spent all 2018 in AA and in 102 games he hit .212 with 6 home runs and 40 RBI's. He resigned a minor league deal on November 19, 2018. He was assigned to AA Harrisburg Senators to start the season. Collier was released by the Nationals organization on July 12, 2019.

New Britain Bees

On July 21, 2019, Collier signed with the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

On November 6, 2019, Collier was selected by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the New Britain Bees dispersal draft.

References
  1. "Zach Collier Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  2. Claire, Fred. "Scouts care about players they follow". MLB.com. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  3. Lawrence, Ryan (June 9, 2008). "Phillies draft pick had heart surgery". The Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  4. Salisbury, Jim (June 8, 2008). "Big Red Machine part two? Cincinnati's Jay Bruce is part of a core of young talent that has the makings of a powerhouse". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  5. "Zach Collier Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  6. Wild, Danny. "Phils first-rounder Collier suspended". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  7. Brookover, Bob (June 18, 2012). "How ADHD cost Phils minor-leaguer 50-game suspension". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  8. Phillies add four players to 40-man roster
  9. Gaul, Jerry. "Phillies Minor League Report: Zach Collier homers in fourth consecutive game". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  10. Gabrielle Lucivero (September 8, 2016), For the Love of the Game: Zach Collier Fights for His Spot in the Majors, Time Warner Cable News
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