Blake Mitchell Stats & Scouting Report

AB	378
AVG	.238
OBP	.376
SLG	.439
HR	18

Full name Blake Austin Mitchell
Born 08/03/2004 in Clear Lake, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 192 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Sinton (Texas) HS
Drafted in the 1st round (8th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2023 (signed for $4,897,500).

View Draft Report

School: Sinton (Texas) HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Louisiana State
Age At Draft: 18.9
BA Grade:55/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 55. Run: 30. Field: 55. Arm: 70.

The top high school catcher in the class, Mitchell is also a talented pitcher who has been into the mid 90s on the mound and was used in a two-way role for Team USA’s 18U gold medal-winning national team in 2022. Despite his talent on the mound, his upside is higher as a catching prospect, with big-time lefthanded power and double-plus arm strength. Mitchell is physically mature at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with well-developed lower and upper halves that provide an excellent foundation of strength and power. He has solid rhythm in the batter’s box, and a generally strong understanding of the strike zone, though his pure bat-to-ball skills need work. It’s not surprising for Mitchell to swing-and-miss against all pitch types and he’ll need to do a better job making contact in order to tap into his plus raw power. While his pure hit tool remains a bit raw, he’s a polished and instinctual defender behind the plate. He received well and did a nice job handling the best arms in the class in 2022—including a few high-octane, poor control pitchers with Team USA—with solid agility and flexibility that should allow him to be a consistently strong blocker. His carrying defensive tool is his 70-grade arm strength, which allows him to produce in-game pop times in the 1.8-1.9-second range and should allow him to keep the running game in check, especially with improved accuracy and footwork. Mitchell is a well below-average runner committed to Louisiana State but has a chance to be a top-15 selection.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA GradeRisk: 55/High.

Track Record: A two-time Gatorade high school player of the year in the state of Texas, Mitchell was the top available prep catcher in the 2023 draft. The Royals drafted the LSU commit with the eighth overall pick and signed him for an under-slot bonus of $4,897,500. Concerns were raised after Mitchell had a flat pro debut at the end of the Arizona Complex League season, and an aggressive assignment to Low-A Columbia in 2024 was expected to be a challenge for the 19-year-old catcher. Mitchell initially struggled at the plate, getting just three hits in his first 24 at-bats. After adjusting his stance to get more athleticism into his swing, Mitchell put up a solid season in Low-A, batting .238/.376/.439 with 18 home runs and 25 stolen bases, before ending the year with five games at High-A Quad Cities.

Scouting Report: The key to Mitchell’s progress at the plate was narrowing his stance, which gave him more athleticism and allowed his lefthanded swing to work more efficiently and use all fields. While a 30.5% strikeout rate points to the need for more improvement, it is balanced by a very good 17% walk rate, and his 18 home runs showed that he was able to tap into his plus raw power. The metrics support Mitchell’s growth in swing decisions, with 75% of swings in the zone and a low 19% chase rate. His strong hands help him receive the ball well behind the plate. He’s got plus-plus arm strength and regularly records pop times of sub-2.0 seconds, while continuing to work on his release and transfers. A well below-average runner, Mitchell used his advanced baserunning instincts to steal 25 bases in 32 attempts.

The Future: As with most catchers drafted out of high school, Mitchell still has a long development path ahead, but his 2024 season was a big jump forward. He’ll return to High-A Quad Cities in 2025.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 70.
BA Grade: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Mitchell was the top high school catcher in the 2023 draft, and the Royals drafted the Louisiana State commit with the eighth overall pick. They signed him for $4,897,500, which was 18% under slot. High school catchers are often considered to be a riskier profile, and Mitchell went a bit higher than projected, with his under-slot bonus giving the Royals the flexibility to go above slot for second-rounder Blake Wolters. Starring both behind the plate and on the mound, Mitchell had a heralded amateur career at Sinton (Texas) High. He earned Gatorade Texas Player of the Year honors in both his junior and senior years, leading his team to the Texas 4-A title as a junior. He drove in five runs at the 2022 Under Armour All-America Game at Kauffman Stadium, earning MVP honors, and starred for the USA Baseball’s 18U national Team, for which he worked both at catcher and pitcher. After starting his pro career with 13 games in the Arizona Complex League, Mitchell participated in the Royals’ fall instructional league program, where he showed more of an ease of operation at the plate and began tapping into his raw power. That power comes from a physically mature frame, with well-developed lower and upper halves providing an excellent foundation of strength.

Scouting Report: With a good eye at the plate and a lefthanded swing geared for bat speed and power to all fields, Mitchell projects to hit for both average and power as he becomes accustomed to pro pitching and consistently higher velocities. His plus bat speed and hand speed allow him to barrel fastballs with plenty of loft. He will swing and miss against all pitch types and needs to improve his bat-to-ball skills to consistently tap into his plus raw power. While Mitchell struggled to make contact in his pro debut, his discerning eye allowed him to draw walks at a high rate. His strong hands help him receive well behind the plate, but his transfer and release need improvement. The plus-plus arm strength that allowed Mitchell to show mid-90s velocity on the mound is his best attribute behind the plate. He recorded elite pop times on throws to second base in the range of 1.8 to 1.9 seconds in high school. He’s a well below-average runner.

The Future: Mitchell showed enough advancement in instructional league that he should be ready for an assignment to Low-A Columbia in 2024 after spring training. His arm strength on the mound gives him another possible path to the big leagues, but that’s not in the plans. A lefthanded-hitting catcher with plus raw power is a valuable commodity, and Mitchell will be given every opportunity to develop into an everyday regular. N

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 70

Draft Prospects

School: Sinton (Texas) HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Louisiana State
Age At Draft: 18.9
BA Grade:55/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 55. Run: 30. Field: 55. Arm: 70.

The top high school catcher in the class, Mitchell is also a talented pitcher who has been into the mid 90s on the mound and was used in a two-way role for Team USA’s 18U gold medal-winning national team in 2022. Despite his talent on the mound, his upside is higher as a catching prospect, with big-time lefthanded power and double-plus arm strength. Mitchell is physically mature at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with well-developed lower and upper halves that provide an excellent foundation of strength and power. He has solid rhythm in the batter’s box, and a generally strong understanding of the strike zone, though his pure bat-to-ball skills need work. It’s not surprising for Mitchell to swing-and-miss against all pitch types and he’ll need to do a better job making contact in order to tap into his plus raw power. While his pure hit tool remains a bit raw, he’s a polished and instinctual defender behind the plate. He received well and did a nice job handling the best arms in the class in 2022—including a few high-octane, poor control pitchers with Team USA—with solid agility and flexibility that should allow him to be a consistently strong blocker. His carrying defensive tool is his 70-grade arm strength, which allows him to produce in-game pop times in the 1.8-1.9-second range and should allow him to keep the running game in check, especially with improved accuracy and footwork. Mitchell is a well below-average runner committed to Louisiana State but has a chance to be a top-15 selection.