Garrett Mitchell was away from his phone late Friday night while on the road in Durham, North Carolina, calling with his team, the Nashville Sounds, when his manager, Rick Sweet, called. He didn’t sleep, nor did he scroll on TikTok, as his skipper asked him.
Sweet tried to reach Mitchell to inform him that he was being called up to the Major Leagues for the first time, but the outfielder loved eating a chocolate chip cookie.
Milwaukee Brewers fans hope the arrival of one of the team’s top minor-league prospects is just such a treat.
Reaching their sack of the best outfield minor-league prospects, the Brewers promoted Mitchell to the major leagues for the first time on Saturday in hopes he can help make a late playoff push.
“I had to ask (Sweet) if he was serious. It was a bit of a shock,” said Mitchell. “Knowing he was serious and I got a call, lots of excitement, thinking back a lot to the time I was a kid and wanted to be here right now. Finally got the call, could be here to try and help this organization win ball games and we’re making and trying to get to the play-offs, hopefully I can help with that.”
Mitchell entered 2022 as the top-rated Brewers prospect by the Journal Sentinel and is currently ranked 5th in the Milwaukee system according to MLB Pipeline. The fast outfielder batted .343/.435/.466 in 20 games in Class AAA since being promoted earlier this month. Overall in the minors this season, he has an OPS of .804 with 16 doubles, five homeruns and 17 stolen bases.
“I think what we learned about Garrett is that he has a complete toolset and a complete set of skills that can influence the entire game,” said David Stearns, Brewers president of baseball operations. “He can influence it defensively, offensively and when he’s on base. If he’s been on the pitch throughout our system, he’s done that at every level. He’s healthy, he’s ready to go, his body feels very good. He is definitely excited to be here and we think he will influence our team.”
Mitchell describes his playing style as ‘electric’
Left-handed Mitchell, the Brewers’ 2020 first-round draft pick from UCLA, is known for playing with all the crowds. His elite speed responds perfectly to this, allowing him to deal great damage in many facets.
“Shoot,” Mitchell said when asked Saturday to describe his kind of baseball. “Playing hard. I’d say that’s the most important thing. I think when I play my baseball it can be pretty electric with how hard I run and how I play the game. That’s just who I’ve always been since I was young, so it’s just trying to bring that, be it with success or failure.
“If there’s one thing I can promise this organization and this fanbase, it’s that I’m always going to play hard.”
More:Will the Brewers soon be calling Sal Frelick, Brice Turang or another top candidate? Here’s what David Stearns had to say.
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Jonathan Davis was placed on the injured list with right elbow effusion to make room on the roster for Mitchell. Alex Jackson was moved to the 60-day injured list to free up a spot on the 40-man roster.
Mitchell was not in the lineup with southpaw Drew Smyly on the mound for the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell indicated he would start Sunday’s series finale. He will split time in midfield with Tyrone Taylor, probably mixing and matching based on who the opponent is.
“Garrett is going to play,” Counsell said. “We called him up, he replaced a man, but the left-right thing obviously goes in and Garrett gets a chance.”
Brewers talked to Mitchell about other top prospects at AAA
Given the plethora of talent in the Nashville outfield, the Brewers had multiple options they could call on to replace Davis and play downtown.
Sal Frelick, ranked No. 2 on the team by MLB Pipeline, has shredded pitching with the Sounds to a .996 OPS in 20 games. 8th-placed Esteury Ruiz has an OPS of .987 in AA and AAA this year, while leading the minor leagues in stolen bases. Joey Wiemer, the third candidate, is less of a centerfielder, but like Frelick is in the top 100 in baseball.
“Frankly, I think you could argue that one of them is now ready for the big leagues,” Stearns said. “We went with Garrett in this case and it’s a huge honor for Garrett, an honor for our domestic scouting staff and certainly for player development to get him through the system and help him maximize his skills. I think that We’re on the tip of the iceberg now with Garrett.”
Frelick, the team’s first pick in 2021, is said to have given the Brewers a left-handed bat that can roam downtown like Mitchell. Did the Brewers just believe that Mitchell was the more seasoned player and thus more ready to help the big club right now?
“I think that’s right,” Stearns said. “I think the extra year of professional football here helps a little bit. Even something like being in the big league helps a little bit because we’re a little bit more familiar with the team and the coaching staff than some of the other guys we’ve got. ” Garrett also has a skillset and a toolset that we think can really influence our team right now. To give him the opportunity to do that, he’s going to play and we look forward to him doing that.”
Mitchell spoke to the dynamic that he, Frelick and Wiemer created as they shared an outfield during Class AA and AAA this season.
“We all pull for each other,” he said. “What you see on the pitch is true. It’s not fake. We have fun together, we laugh and mess around. That’s what makes it so much fun. We keep our fingers crossed. At the end of the day, we’re not the ones who making decision is left to other people Sal is doing great now Joey is excited and doing great too and anyone can get the call anytime.
“I support those guys too. I hope they get here soon because that could be a pretty scary field in the near future.”
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