Position: OF
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Born: 03/08/1999
How Acquired: Draft 2nd Round, 50th Overall, 2017
High School: Rancho Bernardo HS (San Diego, CA)
Bonus: $1,357,300
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2023
Options Left: 1
Overview
A bat-first prospect, Mitchell was rated more highly going into his senior year than at draft time, but a change in his approach at the plate hurt his stock. He’d shown plus power and the ability to drive the ball to all fields in the past, but in 2017 he developed a pull happy swing that resulted in increased swings and misses. That foreshadowed his record as he moved up through the Pirates’ system. Although scouts liked his bat a lot, his hitting profile frequently changed, between hitting more for power or cutting down on strikeouts. He’s also alternated very hot stretches with exceptionally long slumps. He sometimes had large platoon splits coming up through the system, but that stopped with AAA. Mitchell is a below average runner who was already limited as a prep player to left field and he doesn’t have a strong arm.
2017-20
Mitchell didn’t hit the ball with a great deal of authority during his debut. The Pirates moved him up to low A in 2018 and he got off to a fast start, then tailed off steadily after the first month until a late-season rebound. His monthly OPS:
April: 1.043
May: .791
June: .709
July: .611
August: .672
September (3 games): .974
His plate discipline was just decent throughout the season. Mitchell had a reverse platoon split, batting 357/413/490 against LHPs and 258/325/409 against RHPs. He played a few games in right and otherwise played left.
In 2019 in high A, Mitchell had a frustrating season. Considering the context — a player who’d just turned 20 in the pitching-dominated Florida State League — his power numbers were good. He was sixth in the league in HRs and tenth in SLG. His walk and K rates, though, were bad. Every time he seemed to have gotten the bat going, he’d go into a lengthy slump. His OPS by month:
April: .807
May: .752
June: .562
July: .840
August: .558
Mitchell didn’t play in 2020.
2021-22
In 2021, Mitchell got off to a strong start at Altoona and appeared to be living up to his potential. Through the first two months, he had eight home runs and was slugging .535. Over the last three months in AA, he had four homers, just one after July, and slugged .357. Mitchell’s walk rate was low but his K rate was much lower than in the past. The Pirates left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft after the season but he was not selected.
In 2022, Mitchell split the season between AAA and the majors. At Indianapolis, he put things together to a greater extent than he had before. He didn’t walk a great deal, but his K rate was low and he hit for good power. He hammered LHPs for a 1.038 OPS. The Pirates called Mitchell up in late May and he struggled, posting just a .553 OPS through late June, when they sent him down. He returned for the second half of July and hit 297/333/487, but they sent him down again when he started August 1-for-17. He came back for September and hit 267/361/373. Mitchell’s plate discipline improved a great deal over the season; he had a BB:K ratio of 11:16 in September, 7:36 before that. The Pirates played Mitchell exclusively in right in the majors and Statcast sees his defense as bad.
2023
Except for a two-game stint with the Pirates and a few rehab games, Mitchell played for Indianapolis in 2023. He also spent several stretches on the injured list, including most of July and August. He had a decent season there, batting 261/333/414. It came with an increased K rate of nearly 30%. The Pirates evidently didn’t think the hitting was enough to offset his defensive play. They designated him for assignment near the end of the season and he cleared waivers.
Mitchell will be eligible for free agency in the fall, so his time with the Pirates is almost certainly over.
Stats
Transactions
June 12, 2017: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd round, 50th overall pick; signed on June 20.
May 24, 2022: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.