Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospect Garrett Mitchell Shines this Spring

The rankings can vary depending on where you look, but the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system isn’t exactly held in very high regard. However, their top prospect Garrett Mitchell has really shined during Spring Training.

Mitchell was Milwaukee’s first-round pick at 20th overall in last year’s draft, a spot that even Brewers’ Vice President of Domestic Scouting Tod Johnson was surprised to see him fall too.

MLB.com had Mitchell rated as their sixth overall prospect in last year’s draft, with an overall grade of 55. His breakout year at UCLA came in 2019 when he slashed .349/.418/.566. In the shortened 2020 campaign, he was once again off to a hot start with a .355 average and .909 OPS.

When scouts or draft analysts described Mitchell, terms such as “electric athlete,” as evidenced by his 70 run grade, and “toolsy” — meaning he can do it all — were used.

So why did he fall to the Milwaukee Brewers at pick 20?

As always, there is more than one answer, but Mitchell does have Type-1 diabetes, which could have been a factor. He also displayed a lack of consistent power in college, with only six career home runs. But without question, the Milwaukee Brewers are thrilled to have him in the organization.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there was no minor league season in 2020, which kept Mitchell on the sidelines. However, after receiving an unexpected invite to Spring Training this summer, that doesn’t appear to have slowed him down one bit.

The 22-year-old centerfielder has 28 plate appearances this spring and is slashing .385/.429/.538 for a .967 OPS. Mitchell also has a home run, a double, drawn two walks, and three stolen bases. Even his outs are hit hard.

As impressive as those numbers are, Mitchell is putting up these stats while primarily coming off the bench — that of course, is a difficult task — and as a left-handed hitter, he’s had a lot of success against left-handed pitching, which according to Mitchell, he has always seen really well throughout his career.

"“He’s a talented player,” said Craig Counsell via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I think that’s pretty obvious. He’s a left-handed hitting center fielder who runs well, and he’s known for his defense. He brings a lot to the table. There’s a lot of places he can add strengths.“I think that’s what’s exciting right now. There doesn’t look to be a spot in his game that he doesn’t add strength. That’s exciting. There’s a lot of good things there that he can do to help you win a game.”"

As promising as Mitchell’s future looks here in Milwaukee, we won’t be seeing him this season. Remember, he is yet to have played any minor league ball yet.

But if he continues on this trajectory, I wouldn’t rule out him making his debut toward the latter part of next season if the outfield is thin at that time—especially if he can continue to display some pop with his bat. However, 2023 is very much in play.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ season is set to begin in just over a week, but make sure you’re following along with Mitchell in the minors this summer. In his short time with the Brewers organization, we’ve already seen the potential that he has.