Brewers: Garrett Mitchell Continues To Excite At Spring Training

The Milwaukee Brewers had high expectations for their 2020 first round pick, Garrett Mitchell, but he’s exceeded them in quite the way.

Drafted out of UCLA last summer, the book on Mitchell was that he had all the tools requisite for stardom in the big leagues, but it was just a matter of getting him to tap into the raw power he has and of course being able to adjust to facing big league pitching.

So far, so good.

In 13 spring training at-bats, Mitchell has seven hits, including his first home run in a Brewers uniform. Mitchell’s family was there and had a video of his home run.

Mitchell has also seen a lot of this success against left handed pitching, five of his seven hits, which is another impressive thing considering he’s a left handed hitter. Very few hitters fresh out of college are able to do that kind of damage right away in the pro ranks against lefty pitchers, spring training or not.

Even his outs are hit hard. Somehow, he barrels the ball nearly every single time he puts the ball in play.

Garrett Mitchell’s early success at Brewers spring training could put him on a fast track to the big leagues. What could Mitchell’s timeline look like?

As a college bat, Mitchell has the potential to move quickly through the minor league system. He’s not going to be making his major league debut in 2021, however. He won’t move that quickly.

His progression through the system will depend on how he hits and if he is able to consistently tap into his immense raw power. We saw him tap into it on Saturday, and if he continues to do that, he can fly through the system.

Based on what we’ve seen in spring training and comments from the Brewers coaching staff, there’s a chance Mitchell starts at High-A Wisconsin instead of Low-A Carolina.

Should Mitchell not suffer through any slumps in the minors and his power shows up, he could be in Double-A by year’s end. Depending on how much time he spends there in 2021, he could start 2022 in Triple-A, and from there, he’s one injury away from a call up.

The Brewers will have a couple of options with their 2022 outfield picture since Jackie Bradley Jr has an opt-out and Avisail Garcia has a club option.

The absolute earliest we could see Mitchell in Milwaukee is later in the 2022 season. The most likely scenario is he could snag a starting outfield job in 2023 after the contracts of Bradley, Garcia, and Cain are up. Bradley has a mutual option for 2023, but if the Brewers feel Mitchell is ready, they would most likely decline the option on Bradley.

In the mean time, enjoy watching Mitchell in spring training games. If you’re near the Appleton area, checking out a Timber Rattlers game while he’s there should be on your to-do list.