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Collins worked on fixing a hitch in his swing over the winter, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Collins had some areas of development in 2017, getting on base at a .370 clip and hitting 19 home runs at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, but some of his prospect sheen took a hit under the weight of a .224 batting average and 129 strikeouts (27.3 percent K%). As reported last October by Josh Norris of Baseball America, an area of focus for Collins during the Fall Instructional League was his body position and posture as a hitter. The goal was to make his swing less busy and get him in position to hit the ball quicker. The White Sox feel the 2016 first-round pick came along defensively, particularly in controlling the running game. However, they acknowledge areas of improvement, in terms of blocking balls and game calling. The organization can take its time with the soon-to-be 23-year-old catcher after inking Welington Castillo to a two-year deal this offseason. Improving the hit tool and making the necessary strides as a backstop will improve his prospect profile.
