Six games into this year's season, First Baseman/Outfielder Chris Collabello of the Minnesota Twins has won the week's American league player of the week. He is currently batting .370/.414/.630 with one home run and 11 RBI.
What makes this guy so special?
Collabello is from Assumption College in Worcester Mass. (which means I have a personal bias. oh well), playing baseball from them and also for the Worcester Tornadoes of the Can-Am league, and independent league baseball for seven years. Colabello did not even enter the draft upon his graduation.
In 2012, Collabello earned an invite from the Twins to play Double-A. At 28, he produced great numbers, hitting 19 home runs, 98 RBI, and a batting average of .284. In 2013, he started the season in Triple-A.
He tore up Triple-A, and two months into the season, Colabello got the call up to the big leagues. He did struggle in his time on the Twins, hitting at a .197 batting average, with 7 home runs, and 17 RBI. During the offseason, Colabello was offered a secured job in South Korea. Colabello declined.
Even with catcher Joe Mauer moving to first base, Colabello made the starting lineup for the Twins this year, and he batted fourth in the lineup, the most coveted clean up spot. On Thursday, he produced.
With the bases loaded, Colabello doubled , scoring three runs. In all, he would have six runs batted in during the game, with two doubles, and ultimately leading the Twins to a 10-9 victory.
So. Is this guy the real deal?
Colabello won't bat .370 to end the season, but it gives the twins a reason to keep him in the lineup for now. He has succeeded all expectations. Being a player in the independent league at 28 years old, odds pointed to him never playing in the big leagues. But he is.
Most people would say he will fade into average numbers and he will eventually be replaced in the lineup. But Colabello has never been average.
Chris Colabello is here to stay.
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