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Brewers Get Steal in First Round of MLB Draft, Select OF Garrett Mitchell

By Brian Sampson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 07: Garrett Mitchell #5 of UCLA gestures toward the dugout after hitting a triple during a baseball game against Long Beach State at Jackie Robinson Stadium on May 07, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 07: Garrett Mitchell #5 of UCLA gestures toward the dugout after hitting a triple during a baseball game against Long Beach State at Jackie Robinson Stadium on May 07, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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The Milwaukee Brewers swung for the fences with their first round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by selecting outfielder Garrett Mitchell.

The Milwaukee Brewers potentially hit a grand slam with their first round draft pick of the 2020 MLB Draft pick by selecting UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell with the 20th overall selection.

Ranked sixth on MLB.com’s draft prospect list, he fell all the way to 20. There’s no questioning his potential, as he’s one of the most toolsy players in the draft. He broke out in 2019 and was finally beginning to show off plus power and great hitting ability on a consistent basis.

He’s also a plus runner who can steal bases and fly around the diamond. He’s listed as a centerfielder and should be able to stay there as he works his way up the minor leagues and into the pros. If everything goes right on defense, he’ll become above-average there as well.

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he has a strong frame and shows off tons of power in batting practice. A lefty, he hit .349 and lead the nation with 12 triples last year. He makes a strong case to have some of the best tools in the entire draft.

He slipped all the way to no. 20 due to concerns about his ability to consistently tap into those tools. In a shortened 2020 season, he was hitting .355 but failed to hit a home run in 15 games. He also has Type 1 diabetes which brings questions about his durability and stamina.

There’s A LOT to like about Mitchell’s game and the potential he brings this late in the first round. His tools compare to the players taken in the top 10 and it’s a smart gamble by general manager David Stearns and his staff. If everything pans out, the Brewers could have a great transition from Lorenzo Cain to Mitchell with the potential of getting even better at an extremely important position.

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Mitchell has some work to do to transition his power from the batting cage to the playing field, but it’s an encouraging sign he can take that step forward at some point in his career.

The Brewers gave themselves a great chance to develop an extremely talented player and we’ll see how this plays out in a few years with Mitchell.

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