2023 MLB Draft Profile: Blake Mitchell
Blake Mitchell is one of the more interesting prospects I’ve covered thus far. Although he will likely be drafted as a catcher, he does have tons of pitching experience and grades well there should a team move him there. Let’s examine his 2023 MLB Draft Profile, shall we?
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 35 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Now before anyone goes crazy, no he is not the next Shohei Ohtani. The pitching isn’t bad, but nowhere near the level needed to make it to the next level. So expect him to stay at his natural position of catcher.
While neither of the hitting aspects is truly elite, he does have traits that could translate to higher levels. He has a very patient approach and is good at working counts to find his pitch. He also has a quick swing and the two should work well for him in generating serious power from the left side.
Blake Mitchell also shows the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field. Showing just how impressive his hit tool can be under the right coaching. His swing does get a bit choppy at times and he sometimes lapses on the fundamental side, leading to some unwanted strikeouts, which could be a problem at higher levels.
But if these tiny kinks can be worked out, then the sky is the limit for Blake Mitchell. With his smooth left-handed swing, he can easily be a 20-plus home run guy from behind the plate.
Defensively, Mitchell is a mixed bag. His receiving and blocking while not bad isn’t seen as a plus in his game, but what shines with Mitchell is his elite arm. It’s probably his best trait and already carries the potential to hose down MLB runners, something that should be rather enticing for plenty of MLB teams.
Overall, there is a lot to like about Blake Mitchell. Any catcher who has the potential to be a plus hitter will shoot up the draft board. At only 18-years-old, Mitchell will have plenty of time to develop his hit tool. If he can limit the strikeouts and emphasis making hard contact, I don’t see how he doesn’t succeed.
He already has MLB-ready traits from behind the plate with potential that’s through the roof. He will likely be a top-15 pick and could be the future franchise catcher for a number of different teams.
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