Image courtesy of Steven Branscombe

Zack Collins is a 6'3", 220 lb. catcher from the University of Miami who was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 27th round of the 2013 draft, but he chose not to sign. Collins can really hit, and his patience at the plate enhances the rest of his offensive performance, making him one of the top college bats available in this year's draft. Zack has good power that will allow him to hit around 25 home runs per year, and his hit tool is solid enough that he should be able to be a .275 hitter. Miami's catcher is limited behind the plate, and he will have to move to first as a professional, but he hits well enough to move through a system quickly. Collins has moved higher up boards more than any other college hitter this spring, and his draft stock could continue to rise leading up to the draft. Because of the Chicago Cubs' success, draft fanatics have been putting heavy emphasis on players with similar profiles to Collins, but there is also a long list of similar players who have not lived up to expectations, with Yonder Alonso, Justin Smoak, and Ike Davis being a few, yet Collins should still provide enough value to justify being a middle to late first round pick. The Twins will be looking to add more offense with this year's draft, and if they cannot meet the asking price of their favorite prep players they could use Collins as a fall back option.