White Sox: Are Zack Collins, Seby Zavala A Future Catching Duo?
White Sox catching prospects had a solid season behind the plate in the minors in 2017. Could both catchers become a catching duo in the majors someday?
The current Chicago White Sox catching duo of Kevan Smith and Omar Narvaez both had a good 2017 season in the major leagues. A potential future catching duo for the Sox could be Zack Collins and Seby Zavala as both players had a solid 2017 in the minors.
Collins and Zavala played together with Single-A Advanced Winston-Salem this past season and were productive at the plate for the Dash. Zavala had the better overall offensive numbers in 2017 as he hit .282/.353/.499 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs combined with Single-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem. Zavala hit .302/.376/.485 with Winston-Salem. Collins, the Sox seventh-ranked prospect hit a combined .224/.370/.445 for Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham to go along with 19 home runs and 53 RBIs.
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The Sox have been very patient in promoting their prospects over the past year. Collins was promoted to Birmingham on August 15 even though he was struggling offensively for Winston-Salem. Despite hitting just .223 for the Dash, Collins hit 17 home runs and had an astounding 76 walks for Winston-Salem.
Collins was also decent behind the plate for Winston-Salem this past season. The 2016 first round draft pick of the Sox had a .987 fielding percentage for the Dash and threw out 45 baserunners attempting to steal a base. Collins committed just eight errors for Winston-Salem and three for the Barons.
Zavala, the Sox 2015 12th round draft pick, had a breakout season in the minors in 2017. To go along with his impressive offensive statistics, Zavala compiled a .990 fielding percentage with Winston-Salem. Zavala threw out 15 baserunners for the Dash and committed only five errors. The 24-year-old also played well in Arizona Fall League play. Zavala hit .326/.407/.435 through 13 games with one home run for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
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Both Collins and Zavala could start next season with the Barons. As the Sox continue to allow players to develop before promoting them, Collins and Zavala won’t be rushed to the majors. The Sox have done a good job of developing catchers recently as both Smith and Narvaez were promoted from within the team’s farm system. If Collins and Zavala could become a future catching duo for the Sox, this team will certainly benefit from it.