Jared Mitchell

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #29 prospect in 2015
  The White Sox aren't waiting on Mitchell anymore. They've sent the former Louisiana State football player down to Double-A Birmingham in both 2013 and 2014 and removed him from the 40-man roster, and no one claimed him. Mitchell still has tools, with athleticism, strength and plus speed. He's a fair defender with an average arm and plays a passable center field, though he fits better in left. He'll always strike out a lot due to poor pitch recognition and a propensity to chase breaking balls. He showed more ability to adjust from at-bat to at-bat in 2014, with a career-best 19 home runs. He doesn't hit lefthanders well enough to be a regular, so his ceiling is that of a part-time player and reserve. He made enough progress to get called back up to Triple-A Charlotte in 2014, and he's likely headed there again for 2015.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #13 prospect in 2014
  Mitchell has had an eventful athletic career, winning national titles in baseball and football at Louisiana State. His pro baseball career has two key points: his 2010 spring-training collision with an outfield wall that tore a tendon in his left ankle and cost him the season, and his swing-and-miss tendencies since then as he's tried to catch up. He has struck out in 33 percent of his professional plate appearances. Mitchell had a strong 2013 spring in big league camp but an awful season that included two disabled list stints, a .550 OPS, a demotion and finally a Southern League championship with Double-A Birmingham. Mitchell then hit five home runs to tie for second in the Arizona Fall League. Mitchell remains an above-average, explosive athlete with well-above-average power potential. He has an average arm but his reads off the bat make him best suited for left field. His future all depends on his ability to make adjustments at the plate. He tinkers with his hitting mechanics, goes deep in counts without an effective two-strike approach, expands his strike zone and gets out of synch with his swing. Mitchell's AFL stint gave the White Sox hope he will be more flexible with his hitting approach. He'll take his third shot at Charlotte, in the Knights' new downtown ballpark, in 2014.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #9 prospect in 2013
  Mitchell was an electrifying athlete who won national championships in baseball and football (as a wide receiver) at Louisiana State. The 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, he signed for $1.2 million and immediately ranked as the organization's top prospect. But he hasn't been quite the same player since he crashed into an outfield fence in spring training in 2010, tearing tendons in his left ankle that resulted in him missing the entire season. Mitchell has a quick bat, the willingness to work counts and solid speed, so he should be able to hit for average. But he's patient to a fault, often falling behind in the count and struggling when he does so. He has struck out 362 times in his two full pro seasons. He has a lot of holes in his long swing and is especially ineffective against lefthanders. He has average raw power. Mitchell is still aggressive on the bases, though he's no longer the plus-plus runner he was before his injury. He was less tentative in center field in 2012 than he was the year before. He's a solid defender with an average arm. Unless he can make some major adjustments at the plate, Mitchell may not be more than a platoon player in the big leagues. He's ticketed for a full year in Triple-A in 2013.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #16 prospect in 2012
  Mitchell still is trying to bounce back from tearing a tendon in his left ankle when he crashed into an outfield fence in spring training in 2010, costing him the entire season. He was considered a potential five-tool player when the White Sox drafted him 23rd overall and signed him for $1.2 million in 2009, but he hasn't been the same guy since his injury. He never got untracked in 2011, hitting better than .231 in only one month and .134 in August, though scouts came away talking about his relentless effort and hustle. Part of national championships in baseball and football at Louisiana State, Mitchell needs to make adjustments in his swing and his approach. He chased high pitches en route to 183 strikeouts last season, the third-highest total in the minors. He's willing to work counts but gets in trouble when he falls behind. He has average raw power, though he'll have to make more contact in order to tap into it. A wide receiver at LSU, Mitchell runs well but isn't the plus-plus runner he was before he hurt his ankle. He's a solid center fielder with an average arm. Some club officials wonder if the collision with the wall two years ago has made him tentative in pursuing balls over his head. Mitchell will return to high Class A to open 2012, and Chicago will try to remain patient.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #4 prospect in 2011
  Mitchell won national championships in football and baseball at Louisiana State, winning MVP honors at the College World Series shortly before signing for $1.2 million as the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft. He was the most electric player in the White Sox' big league camp early last spring, but tore a tendon in his left ankle after colliding with the outfield wall in a game against the Angels. The injury cost him the entire 2010 season. Mitchell is a tremendous athlete with good baseball aptitude despite his two-sport background, but he also has more learning to do. He's a promising hitter with an idea of the strike zone. He has some unnecessary movement in his approach, which Chicago has worked to smooth out. Before he got hurt, Mitchell showed the plus-plus speed to steal bases and cover the gaps in center field, though he's still honing his instincts in both areas. He doesn't have a lot of power, and it's possible that his below-average arm could relegate him to left field. The White Sox considered sending Mitchell to Double-A before he got hurt, and now they'll move him less aggressively. He returned to action in the Arizona Fall League but his speed hadn't fully returned, which is crucial to his game. Chicago believes he'll be back to 100 percent by spring training and ready to open 2011 at high Class A Winston-Salem.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #1 prospect in 2010
  Mitchell is a winner. He won two national championships in his career at Louisiana State, one as a backup wide receiver on the football team that beat Ohio State in the BCS title game in January 2008, and another as an outfielder on the baseball team that won the 2009 College World Series. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the latter event, hitting .348 with two homers among his five extra-base hits. Mitchell flashed first-round talent in 2006, when he batted .506 for Westgate High outside New Orleans and was the Louisiana high school player of the year. He fell to the Twins in the 10th round of the draft, however, because he wanted $1 million to give up football. Minnesota made him a significant offer but didn't reach seven figures, so he went to Louisiana State. He joined the baseball team after spring football practice in his first two years, and got permission from Tigers football coach Les Miles to focus on baseball last spring. The extra work on the diamond paid off, not just with a national title but also with Mitchell going 23rd overall in the 2009 draft. The White Sox signed him for $1.2 million and sent him straight to low Class A Kannapolis, where he had few problems transitioning to pro ball. Mitchell played football because his skills pushed him toward the field, but his real passion is baseball. He's a terrific athlete with plus-plus speed who projects as a center fielder and leadoff man. He has been clocked from the plate to third base in 10.3 seconds. He's a patient hitter who's willing to work counts, ranking fifth in NCAA Division I with 57 walks last year, yet he hit in the middle of Louisiana State's lineup because he also flashes power. He has the quickness to cover huge swaths of ground in center field. "He takes control in center field like he's been playing professionally for a while," Kannapolis manager Ernie Young said. Mitchell has impressive instincts, especially given that he hadn't focused solely on baseball before 2009. He loves the biggest stages. Mitchell still has work to do at the plate, both in his technique and approach. Sox coaches are working to smooth out some uppercut in his swing, and he strikes out more than he should because he takes hittable pitches while trying to work counts. He's also working on getting better reads and jumps as a basestealer, as he has the speed to swipe bags more frequently and more successfully than he does now. Mitchell played right field in college but doesn't have the arm strength to stay there as a professional, and his arm is his only below-average tool. The White Sox will develop him as a center fielder, but like Carl Crawford he could eventually move to left. He drifts on fly balls at times. Mitchell performed above expectations after signing, so Chicago could skip him to Double-A Birmingham to open his first full season. With Alex Rios and Jordan Danks ahead of him in the organization, Mitchell won't have to be rushed. He's exactly the kind of pure athlete that White Sox GM Ken Williams has exhorted his scouting staff to sign, though he'll require time to hone his skills after being distracted by football for so long.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked South Atlantic League #8 prospect in 2009
  There aren't any Sally League players who are more accustomed to playing in front of a big crowd with lots of noise than Mitchell. The 2009 College World Series MVP, he also was a backup wide receiver on Louisiana State's football team. Used to being under the spotlight, he doesn't get rattled by much of anything, and certainly didn't during his stay with Kannapolis. The best college athlete in the 2009 draft, Mitchell is an exciting player with incredible raw speed. He has been clocked from home plate to third base in 10.3 seconds. His lone below-average tool is his arm. As a former football player who hadn't focused exclusively on baseball, he has surprisingly good baseball instincts, especially in the outfield. "It looks like he's covering ground in milliseconds," Kannapolis manager Ernie Young said. "He takes control in center field like he's been playing professionally for a while." At the plate, Mitchell has gap-to-gap power and could develop into a home run threat as he grows into his solid frame. He also can hit for average and has good patience.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #55 prospect in 2010

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Mitchell was an electrifying athlete who won national championships in baseball and football (as a wide receiver) at Louisiana State. The 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, he signed for $1.2 million and immediately ranked as the organization's top prospect. But he hasn't been quite the same player since he crashed into an outfield fence in spring training in 2010, tearing tendons in his left ankle that resulted in him missing the entire season. Scouting Report: Mitchell has a quick bat, the willingness to work counts and solid speed, so he should be able to hit for average. But he's patient to a fault, often falling behind in the count and struggling when he does so. He has struck out 362 times in his two full pro seasons. He has a lot of holes in his long swing and is especially ineffective against lefthanders. He has average raw power. Mitchell is still aggressive on the bases, though he's no longer the plus-plus runner he was before his injury. He was less tentative in center field in 2012 than he was the year before. He's a solid defender with an average arm. The Future: Unless he can make some major adjustments at the plate, Mitchell may not be more than a platoon player in the big leagues. He's ticketed for a full year in Triple-A in 2013.