The Real Cam Collier Stood Up In August And Obliterated Single-A Pitching | Reds No. 18 Pick Is The Real Deal

by | Sep 5, 2023 | THE THREE SPOT

When the Cincinnati Reds took 17-year-old third baseman Cam “Bam Bam ” Collier with the No.18 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, team brass knew they got a steal. Collier, who was projected to be a Top-10 pick, slipped a bit on draft day, but the Reds are certain happy he did.

After struggling out of the gate in his minor league debut this season with the Single-A Daytona Tortugas, Collier has picked it up.

 

Cam Collier Flipped The Switch In August 

For the better part of this season, Cam’s paltry hitting numbers of .218/.317/.328 were a bit of a concern, but in August, he seemed to finally figure it out and his abundant talent began to shine through.  In 21 games last month, the 6-foot-2- and 215-pound specimen hit .351 with 13 walks and only struck out 17 times. In all, Collier finished August with a .351/.462/.514 slash line. He also added a 14.3% walk rate, and an 18.7% strikeout which contributed to his dramatic boost in production. 

Collier’s red-hot August boosted his overall slash line from .218/.317/.328 to .246/.350/.368. But the most impressive part may be the fact that Collier who’s still 18, did this against players who are years older. 

For the season he’s batting .244 with an OBP of .339, with five homers, 50 RBIs and and 19 doubles.

Collier Is A Huge Fan Of Padres Superstar Juan Soto

Speaking with mlbplayers.com about his torrid August display at the plate, Collier told Jerry Crasnick that he prides himself on plate discipline. That statement would explain why Collier is such a huge fan of San Diego Padres superstar Juan Soto.

“I respect his game and how he plays the game,” Cam told Crasnick. “I’ve tried to pattern my game after guys like that. And I’m a really big fan of Matt Chapman from the defensive side and Nolan Arenado. I like a lot of the big-time third baseman.”

 

Cam Collier Quit Hoops To Focus On Baseball At 13 Years Old

Being the son of a former major leaguer (Lou Collier) also played a role in who Collier is today. The vibrant 18-year-old Chicago native grew up playing both baseball and basketball, and in the “CHI” the hardwood is king.

But, Collier says in eighth grade he realized that baseball was the way to go.

“There’s a reason I quit basketball,” Cam said. “Chicago is a basketball city, so I definitely wasn’t good enough to play there. I was like, ‘I suck, so I’m just going to stick with what I’m good at. I don’t like sucking at stuff. So I just stuck to baseball.”

Safe to say Collier chose the right sport to pursue long-term. Barring any setbacks, the talented third baseman is tentatively slated to make his major league debut in 2025, 2026 the latest.  Until then, he hopes to keep feasting on minor league pitching as he just did for all of August. All of the tools are evident, and it seems like Collier has passed his first pro test with flying colors. 

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