Skip to main content

Collier beyond hot in August for Fightins

Zach Collier, image- Jay Floyd
They're calling him "Mr. August".

You'd have a difficult time finding a hotter batter in professional baseball right now than Double-A Reading outfielder Zach Collier and the increase in production couldn't have come at a better time.

In his last six contests, the six-foot-two 200-pounder has been scorching the ball to the tune of a .417 average with seven home runs and 11 RBI, helping his club notch five straight wins.

With veteran slugger Jake Fox (.330 avg, 17 HR, 56 RBI in 54 games) leading the Reading Fightins offense for two months since signing with the Phillies, it was only a matter of time before his outstanding production rubbed off on those around him. For Collier, it was some verbal guidance from the 32-year-old as well as Fox's generous nature with his personal equipment that helped.

"He's helped me out a lot, you know, just talking, going over hitting and everything like that. I'm actually swinging (Jake's) bats, his model. And I've broken a couple and now we're down to one, so I'm trying not to break this (last) one," Collier said on this week's edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast.

Collier, who was selected 34th overall by the Phillies in 2008, didn't give all the credit to Fox and his wood, however, as the young lefty hitter described how he's stayed focused on getting his output at the plate together.

"I just keep working hard with Rob Ducey, our hitting coach, and just continue to stay aggressive and be ready to hit, you know," Collier added. "I've been seeing the ball really well lately and that's been the difference."

If there's one player in the Phillies organization that needed to turn his season around it was Collier, who entered the month sporting a .220 average with two home runs and 11 RBI in 61 games this season.

The 23-year-old stood by while formerly well-regarded outfield prospects, and teammates, were released one after the other this summer. Former top draft pick Anthony Hewitt, key trade acquisition Tyson Gillies and a once promising Jiwan James all found themselves looking for their next opportunity over the past month-and-a-half.

Had Collier not proven he was making progress, he may have been next.

Entering this season, the California native sported a .241 average with 16 home runs, 168 RBI and 88 steals in 466 career games.

Despite watching his friends get their walking papers, the situation didn't add pressure for Collier, who is steadily aware of a need to stand out in the developmental ranks.

"I try not to worry about that stuff," Collier asserted. "One thing I really want to work on and continue to focus on is how I go about the game. This game is stressful enough as it is and I can't make it any harder by worrying about things I can't control."

Collier cited some levels of frustration with his season prior to his bust out performance over the past week, but he has no problems maintaining a positive outlook and plans to build on his recent hotness.

"I may not have started the way I wanted, but I'm definitely going to finish a lot better than I started."

To download the full episode, which also features an interview with Clearwater starting pitcher Colin Kleven, click HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from

McGwire Stays Phony, Despite Admitting Drug Use

Mark McGwire made an effort to publicly come clean today, admitting to the world that he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. Steroids and human growth hormones were among the drugs that McGwire admitted to using. MLB Network featured a one on one interview with Bob Costas and McGwire on Monday evening. The broadcast was virtually garbage, thanks to McGwire. Ahead is a list of quotes from McGwire's interview. McGwire repeatedly stated his point of view that there were no dishonorable intentions involved when taking steroids, and that he was merely using them as a means to recover from varying ailments. When asked if he felt like he cheated... "As I look back now...I can see how people would say that. As far as the talent goes and the hand-eye coordination, the ability, the genetics I was given...I don't see it." "I did not take this for any strength purposes." Denial. Read on for similar B.S. He whined about the abuse he's taken at

Bubby Rossman's long awaited MLB debut

Eight years after he initially signed a professional contract with the Dodgers and a five-year stretch playing away from affiliated ball, Bubby Rossman became a major leaguer on Wednesday. Added as a substitute for pitcher Kyle Gibson, who is restricted from travel to Canada for the Phillies' series in Toronto, due to his medical inability to be vaccinated from COVID-19, Rossman took the mound for the first time in the majors. Rossman, who was a 22nd round draft selection in 2014 had pitched in 200 professional games before his one-inning outing in the Phillies' 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. In 27 appearances with Double-A Reading this year, the 30-year-old right-hander has performed well, tallying a 2-2 record with a save, a 3.32 ERA and a .200 batting average against.   The embedded video below features a media session with Rossman from prior to opening day this year, in which the California native discusses his journey through independent baseball and back to affiliated ball wi