Grading the Milwaukee Brewers first round picks from the last five years

2020 - OF Garrett Mitchell, 20th overall

The following year, the Brewers started a philosophy of focusing on offensive players with on-base ability and athletic talent in the field. Their first player to fit this mold was outfielder Garrett Mitchell out of UCLA.

Mitchell looked to have true five-tool potential with the only question being around his power, an area where he showed the ability in practice but had yet to have it translate consistently in games. There were also questions from some teams about his ability to manage his diabetes condition, but that has had yet to be a concern at any point and it wasn't enough to scare away Milwaukee.

Once able to start his pro career in 2021 after the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to Covid, Mitchell also quickly moved up the ranks. He moved so quickly that he actually ended up making his MLB debut at the end of 2022. He would be a spark for the Crew down the stretch, hitting .312 with a .832 OPS in 19 games.

Since then, it has been as series of unfortunate injuries for Mitchell. He would miss all but 19 games in 2023 due to a shoulder injury suffered diving into third base and just recently made his 2024 debut after suffering a hand injury during the spring. Since returning, he has played in nine games and is hitting .174 with a .562 OPS.

Mitchell's selection was another that made a lot of sense as Milwaukee was looking to build their outfield depth and got a player with a solid overall makeup. At his best, he can be a top of the order presence with his speed and on base ability, he just hasn't had the chance to show it. Time will tell whether that can still happen, but he needs to put the injury bug in the rearview first. Grade: B