Former Georgia star Corey Collins signs MLB contract with New York Mets

Former Georgia baseball star Corey Collins has signed his contract with the New York Mets following his selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Collins has inked a deal for $275,000, according to a report from MLB.com’s Jim Callis. That is short of the slot value for the No. 173 overall pick, which was at $363,100.

That Collins is signing under slot value will allow the Mets some additional flexiblity signing other picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. Of course, the Georgia star will be eager to begin his career and prove he’s worth much more down the road.

Corey Collins was a standout at Georgia, putting together an excellent 2024 season as Georgia reached the NCAA Super Regionals.

He finished the year behind only star 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 during the season.

He’ll be an upside prospect for the Mets.

What experts are saying about Corey Collins

MLB.com had the former Georgia Bulldogs’ first baseman rated as the No. 170 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft. The outlet believed Collins 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. 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.”