New York Mets select Georgia first baseman Corey Collins in 2024 MLB Draft

Another former Georgia Bulldogs baseball standout has heard his name called. Former first baseman Corey Collins was selected by the New York Mets with the No. 173 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Georgia finished the 2024 campaign as one of the top programs in the SEC and college baseball with a 43-17 overall record and going 17-13 in conference play. Collins played a huge role in that success. The first baseman was second on the team in a handful of significant batting statistics. Collins finished the year only behind superstar third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon in batting average (.354), OPS (1.346), and home runs (20). He also finished towards the top of Georgia’s leaderboard in runs (55), hits (56), and RBIs (58) despite missing a handful of games this season.

Collins leaves Athens with a handful of awards and recognition. The senior from Suwanee, GA, was named a Second-Team All-American first baseman by Baseball America. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Athens Regional and was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team. Collins leaves Georgia with a share of the most home runs in a single game record, accomplishing the feat in Georgia’s 18-6 win against Wofford in mid-March.

What experts are saying about Collins

MLB.com has the former Georgia Bulldogs’ first baseman rateed as the No. 170 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft. They believe he has tremendous upside, should he be able to put it all together at the next level.

“Collins had one of the highest offensive ceilings among catchers in the 2020 high school crop, but he wasn’t signable away from a Georgia commitment and went unselected,” MLB.com’s scouting report read. “He mostly DHed in his first two college seasons and was an outfielder/catcher in an injury-shortened third, never producing as originally anticipated. He has tightened up his left-handed stroke and played with more confidence during a breakout senior season, slashing .360/.584/.794 while ranking first in NCAA Division I in on-base percentage and fourth in OPS (1.378) entering NCAA regional play.

“Collins still focuses almost exclusively on launching balls to his pull side, but his shorter stroke has enabled him to make more consistent hard contact and get the most out of his plus raw power. His bat speed allows him to catch up to the fastball, and he has feasted on heaters while hitting in front of potential No. 1 overall pick Charlie Condon. He’s also no longer helpless against breaking balls and changeups. He works deep counts and excels at getting on base via walks and being hit by pitches.

“Though Collins has solid arm strength, he lacks the receiving ability to catch at the next level and barely has played behind the plate in 2024. His below-average speed makes the outfield corners a stretch, but he has worked hard to make the transition to first base this spring. If he continues to improve, he could become an average defender at first.”