Game slowing down for Mitchell
PHOENIX – Look out, baseball: The game is slowing down for the fastest player in league.
No player in the majors had a faster home-to-first time than Garrett Mitchell a year ago, but the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder admitted as he prepares for his first full year in the bigs that the game, at times, sped up on him as a rookie.
“I’ve been playing baseball my whole life and it’s a different type of game at this point,” Mitchell said. “You’re not used to it until you get there.”
Mitchell had his moments when the game slowed down, like when he lined a walk-off single against the Yankees or when he made a game-saving diving grab in center field to beat the Reds. But he had plenty of times he felt rushed, too, often finding himself with two strikes on him almost right after stepping in the box.
The month-long cup of coffee for Mitchell, Milwaukee’s first round draft pick in 2020, was similarly hit-ormiss.
Literally.
Mitchell’s overall numbers at the plate were impressive. He hit .311 with an .832 OPS – actually finishing with the highest marks on the club in both categories, albeit in only 68 plate appearances – but struck out 41.2% of the time.
“Last year, it was not necessarily executing the pitch I’m looking to drive,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell’s strikeouts weren’t a byproduct of too much swing-and-miss, his swing decisions were generally sound and his called strike rate wasn’t anything to note relative to league average. His problem? He simply wasn’t assertive enough when pitchers challenged him early in counts.
Mitchell reached two strikes in 70% of his plate appearances, a remarkably high rate.
Nobody understands this better than Mitchell, who took many a quick
“Now going through a full off-season, I’m like, ‘Man, I know exactly what I’m trying to do.’ ” Garrett Mitchell,
Brewers outfielder
trip to and from the plate. But short