Cal Mitchell

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #25 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Mitchell has shown tantalizing offensive upside since the Pirates took him in the second round in 2017. He's shown a smooth stroke and an increased ability to hit for power, capped by 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019, but also far too many swings and misses. He spent 2020 at instructional league working to fix that.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Known mainly as a contact hitter when he was drafted, Mitchell's profile has changed as he's matured. His driving tool is now the plus raw power in his lefthanded bat. He's shown an ability to hit to all fields and also displays a patient approach at the plate. At the same time, Mitchell chases the power far too often and gets into trouble when he tries to pull the ball. He is going to have to make more contact because he doesn't offer much defensively. Mitchell is slated for left field as a belowaverage runner and fringe-average defender with an arm that grades as average at best.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell should start 2021 in Double-A. If he can figure things out at the plate, the Pirates don't have many prospects blocking his path to PNC Park.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #14 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: There was a time during Mitchell's senior year in high school when he looked like a potential first-round pick. He struggled offensively his senior year, trying to pull the ball too often while adding too much swing-and-miss to his game. So far, that's been the story of his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mitchell has plus power potential and has shown it at times, including hitting 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019. The power came with a spike in his strikeout rate to nearly 30 percent, while his walk rate dropped to 6.5 percent. Mitchell has the ability to hit to all fields and shows flashes of an advanced, patient approach, but he loses both of them when he tries to hit for power. Mitchell's bat is going to have to be his carrying tool. He's a below-average runner with an average arm, making left field the most likely position.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell has drawn comparisons to all-star hitters like Michael Brantley and Garret Anderson but only when he tamps down his approach and focuses on hard contact rather than power. He should go to Double-A in 2020 with the hope he can get the most from his bat away from the FSL.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #8 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Mitchell fell into the Pirates' lap in the 2017 draft thanks to a rough start to his senior high school season that dropped him just enough to make him a second-round pick. After a modest debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, Mitchell showed off his power at low Class A West Virginia in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Mitchell has an advanced and polished hitting approach for a young hitter. Scouts are very confident that he will be a plus hitter. He has a smooth, quick swing, and he can sit back and get the barrel on outside pitches to drive them out the opposite way. His approach is advanced for a 19-year-old, and he has a good feel for the strike zone and what pitches he wants to hit. His speed, however, is below-average, and his defensive abilities are far behind his offensive abilities. He profiles as a corner outfielder whose fringy arm strength makes him most likely a left fielder. The Pirates consider him a vocal leader of the 2017 draft class, and he will be carrying the banner for it heading into his second full professional season.
  
  The Future: Mitchell will have to hit to rise, but has the tools to do so. He will open 2019 at high Class A Bradenton.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #14 prospect in 2018
  Mitchell was considered one of the best high school bats in the nation going into his senior year at Rancho Bernardo High in 2017. The year before he had finished second in the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, and he helped Team USA win the Pan American Championships. He struggled early in his senior year, going through an 0-for-22 stretch at one point, which caused his stock to fall significantly. Mitchell, however, found consistency late in his senior season and ended up hitting .369 with 11 home runs. He finished his first pro season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 12 hits in 36 at-bats in his last 10 games. The Pirates were never bothered by the slump and still considered Mitchell one of the best high school bats in the draft. He has a smooth lefthanded stroke, good command of the strike zone, and a quick enough bat to let the ball get deep and drive it to the opposite field. He has good power, and should be able to generate above-average home runs production more when he adds weight to a long frame. He has slightly below-average speed and average defensive tools, however, which means he profiles as a corner outfielder and will need his bat to play. Mitchell should begin his full-season odyssey at low Class A West Virginia in 2018.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #74 prospect in 2017 draft
  Mitchell's profile almost entirely depends on his bat. He's a below-average runner with below-average arm strength. Mitchell plays left field already, and some scouts envision a move to first base in his future. His offensive potential, however, could be enough for a team to look past his weaknesses and gamble on his bat early in the draft. Mitchell established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the nation on last summer's showcase circuit, showing the ability consistently to drive outside pitches to the opposite field with authority. When pitchers did try to challenge Mitchell inside, he showed the electric bat speed to turn on pitches. Mitchell showed improved power at the Area Code Games and Perfect Game All-American Game. He has one of the loosest, most fluid swings in the draft class and shows sound understanding of the strike zone. Mitchell got off to a slow start this spring but rebounded late in the season; through the middle of May he was hitting .360 with 11 home runs. It's unclear how his slow start will affect his ultimate draft stock, but Mitchell did plenty prior to the spring and should still be selected early in the draft. He is committed to San Diego.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #11 prospect in 2018
  Mitchell's final stat line was solid but unspectacular, but scouts came away convinced that he was one of the best pure hitters among a rather nondescript crop. Mitchell has to hit, as he's a fringe-average left fielder with a fringe-average arm. Evaluators are quite confident he will. His one-piece, fluid swing is the epitome of simplicity as he quickly whips the bat through the zone. Mitchell's home run power is largely confined to pull power right now, but the expectation is that some of his doubles to left center field will eventually turn into home runs as well. There are plenty of hitters with more all-around upside and tools than Mitchell, but multiple scouts see Mitchell as a safe bet to hit for average with at least average power as well. He hit lefthanders surprisingly well for a young lefthanded hitter (.357/.413/.409), but he did wear down in the second half of the season.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Mitchell has shown tantalizing offensive upside since the Pirates took him in the second round in 2017. He's shown a smooth stroke and an increased ability to hit for power, capped by 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019, but also far too many swings and misses. He spent 2020 at instructional league working to fix that.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Known mainly as a contact hitter when he was drafted, Mitchell's profile has changed as he's matured. His driving tool is now the plus raw power in his lefthanded bat. He's shown an ability to hit to all fields and also displays a patient approach at the plate. At the same time, Mitchell chases the power far too often and gets into trouble when he tries to pull the ball. He is going to have to make more contact because he doesn't offer much defensively. Mitchell is slated for left field as a belowaverage runner and fringe-average defender with an arm that grades as average at best.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell should start 2021 in Double-A. If he can figure things out at the plate, the Pirates don't have many prospects blocking his path to PNC Park.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Mitchell has shown tantalizing offensive upside since the Pirates took him in the second round in 2017. He's shown a smooth stroke and an increased ability to hit for power, capped by 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019, but also far too many swings and misses. He spent 2020 at instructional league working to fix that.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Known mainly as a contact hitter when he was drafted, Mitchell's profile has changed as he's matured. His driving tool is now the plus raw power in his lefthanded bat. He's shown an ability to hit to all fields and also displays a patient approach at the plate. At the same time, Mitchell chases the power far too often and gets into trouble when he tries to pull the ball. He is going to have to make more contact because he doesn't offer much defensively. Mitchell is slated for left field as a belowaverage runner and fringe-average defender with an arm that grades as average at best.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell should start 2021 in Double-A. If he can figure things out at the plate, the Pirates don't have many prospects blocking his path to PNC Park.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Mitchell has shown tantalizing offensive upside since the Pirates took him in the second round in 2017. He's shown a smooth stroke and an increased ability to hit for power, capped by 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019, but also far too many swings and misses. He spent 2020 at instructional league working to fix that.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Known mainly as a contact hitter when he was drafted, Mitchell's profile has changed as he's matured. His driving tool is now the plus raw power in his lefthanded bat. He's shown an ability to hit to all fields and also displays a patient approach at the plate. At the same time, Mitchell chases the power far too often and gets into trouble when he tries to pull the ball. He is going to have to make more contact because he doesn't offer much defensively. Mitchell is slated for left field as a belowaverage runner and fringe-average defender with an arm that grades as average at best.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell should start 2021 in Double-A. If he can figure things out at the plate, the Pirates don't have many prospects blocking his path to PNC Park.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: There was a time during Mitchell’s senior year in high school when he looked like a potential first-round pick. He struggled offensively his senior year, trying to pull the ball too often while adding too much swing-and-miss to his game. So far, that’s been the story of his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mitchell has plus power potential and has shown it at times, including hitting 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019. The power came with a spike in his strikeout rate to nearly 30 percent, while his walk rate dropped to 6.5 percent. Mitchell has the ability to hit to all fields and shows flashes of an advanced, patient approach, but he loses both of them when he tries to BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High hit for power. Mitchell’s bat is going to have to be his carrying tool. He’s a below-average runner with an average arm, making left field the most likely position.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell has drawn comparisons to all-star hitters like Michael Brantley and Garret Anderson but only when he tamps down his approach and focuses on hard contact rather than power. He should go to Double-A in 2020 with the hope he can get the most from his bat away from the FSL.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: There was a time during Mitchell's senior year in high school when he looked like a potential first-round pick. He struggled offensively his senior year, trying to pull the ball too often while adding too much swing-and-miss to his game. So far, that's been the story of his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mitchell has plus power potential and has shown it at times, including hitting 15 homers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2019. The power came with a spike in his strikeout rate to nearly 30 percent, while his walk rate dropped to 6.5 percent. Mitchell has the ability to hit to all fields and shows flashes of an advanced, patient approach, but he loses both of them when he tries to hit for power. Mitchell's bat is going to have to be his carrying tool. He's a below-average runner with an average arm, making left field the most likely position.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mitchell has drawn comparisons to all-star hitters like Michael Brantley and Garret Anderson but only when he tamps down his approach and focuses on hard contact rather than power. He should go to Double-A in 2020 with the hope he can get the most from his bat away from the FSL.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Mitchell is just 19, but the Pirates are most impressed by his maturity at the plate. Mitchell has one of the better slash lines in the organization (.285/.352/.454) with 19 doubles, three triples and eight home runs, and he shows all the tools to hit at higher levels. He has a clean bat path and a disciplined approach, and there isn’t any area of the plate where he consistently gets beat. Defensively Mitchell isn’t nearly as advanced and his arm strength is questionable at best in left field, but his bat will play as he gains reps and confidence in the outfield.