SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Cam Collier had a banner 2024 season. The Reds' corner infielder hit the first home run in Spring Breakout history, went deep at the All-Star Futures Game to grab MVP honors and finished second in the High-A Midwest League with 20 long balls at age 19.
Collier dealt with much more adversity this year. He tore a ligament in his left thumb on a tag play during a Spring Training game in early March, resulting in surgery that sidelined him for the first six weeks of the season. He struggled to get going at the plate and finished the season with just four homers in 95 games, including only two in 74 Double-A games.
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"It was very frustrating but it's part of baseball," Collier said. "I also know that every failure eventually ends with a success. The thumb bothered me at the beginning, and it was Double-A and an adjustment period getting used to the older arms. At the end of the day, I got better."
Toward the end of the season, Collier showed why the Reds paid him $5 million as the 18th overall pick in the 2022 Draft and why he ranks as MLB Pipeline's No. 94 prospect. He slashed .337/.425/.452 in his final 27 games to finish with a respectable .279/.391/.384 line.
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Collier starred in the Arizona Fall League opener, drilling a two-run single in the third inning that provided the margin of victory in the Peoria Javelinas' 4-3 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions. Not known for his defense, he turned a line drive by Seaver King (WSH No. 7) into a double play in the first inning and made a diving stop on a hard grounder to rob Kevin McGonigle (DET No. 1/MLB No. 2) of a single in the third.
While he's in his fourth professional season, Collier is still one of the youngest players in the Fall League at age 20. The son of former big leaguer Lou Collier, he reclassified from the 2023 Draft to 2022, then surrendered what would have been his junior year in high school to play at one of the top junior college programs in the country at Chipola (Fla.).
"It was tough giving up those years in high school," Collier said. "It was tough, but at the end of the day I knew it would make me a better player and prepare me for this competition at this level."
Collier's combination of bat speed and strength gives him 30-homer potential from the left side of the plate, even if his power production dipped in 2025. He has a mature approach and is one of the better all-around offensive prospects in the Fall League. He has a strong arm but his limited quickness and range likely will relegate him to first base.