Garrett Mitchell | OF

Background
Mitchell, 18, attends Orange Lutheran High School in Orange County, where he is hitting .294/.390/.435 this spring. He’s committed to UCLA. Mitchell was diagnosed with Type I diabetes as a child.

Scouting Report
Few players in the 2017 draft class offer as much raw athleticism at Mitchell. He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 lbs., and he’s a great runner with a good throwing arm. Mitchell stands out more on defense right now, as he’s a no-doubt long-term center fielder who gets great reads and has no trouble covering gap-to-gap. At the plate, he has legitimate power in his left-handed bat, though his approach is rudimentary — he’s struck out 23 times in 101 plate appearances this spring, which is way way way too much for a prep prospect — and his swing can sometimes get unhinged. Mitchell works hard and is coachable. He is very much a project though. Whoever drafts him will do so betting on the athleticism.

Miscellany
As you might’ve guessed, opinions are split on Mitchell. He’s athletic but raw, and the Type I diabetes creates concerns about his durability. Mitchell has been dealing with the disease for years though, so he already knows how to take care of his body. Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranked Mitchell as the 28th best prospect in the draft class in his latest rankings while both Baseball America and MLB.com ranked him as the 53rd best prospect. The Yankees hold the 16th and 54th overall picks. They’re not afraid of rolling the dice on raw athletes (Austin Aune, for example), though my guess is they’d target Mitchell with their second round pick, that 54th selection, rather than their first.