Mitch Garver Stats & Scouting Report

AB	367
AVG	.172
OBP	.286
SLG	.341
HR	15

Full name Mitchell Lynn Garver
Born 01/15/1991 in Albuquerque, NM
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School New Mexico
Debut 08/19/2017
Drafted in the 9th round (260th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 (signed for $40,000).

View Draft Report

Garver is one of the top senior talents in the draft, and could get pushed even further up draft boards because it's a thin year for college catching. Scouts liked him behind the plate in the Cape Cod League last summer, and he has good defensive statistics this spring. He is a good athlete at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, runs well for a catcher and has above-average arm strength. Still, some scouts doubt his ability to catch long-term in pro ball. He'll need to do that to have value because while he's a solid hitter who drives the ball to all fields, it's to the gaps and he doesn't really profile as a corner-quality bat. Scouts also wonder how much of Garver's production is park-related. Heading in the final weekend of the season, he ranked fifth in the country with 84 hits, but he was batting .496 in the thin air in Albuquerque, and .281 on the road. After hitting 10 home runs as a junior--when he went undrafted--he had four this season. Still, as a senior at a premium position, Garver could get pushed up as high as the fifth round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Signed as a senior draft out of New Mexico for $40,000, Garver has worked hard to become the Twins' best homegrown option at catcher. Garver tries to elevate pitches he can handle until reaching two strikes, at which point he shortens his swing and reverts to an all-field, situational approach. Through hard work and constant drilling, Garver has defied doubters and turned himself into an average receiver and blocker who handles pitchers well. He shows an above-average arm with much-improved accuracy, as shown by his organization-leading 48-percent success rate against opposing basestealers in 2016. A good athlete who runs just slightly below average, Garver gamely tried left field and first base at Triple-A in order to increase his versatility. The decision to outright Chris Gimenez clears a path for Garver to serve as Jason Castro's understudy.
Drafted as a senior out of New Mexico in 2013, Garver signed with the Twins for $40,000 after going undrafted the year before--despite hitting 10 home runs. Scouts questioned his ability to stick at catcher as he entered pro ball. He's long been viewed as a bat-first player, though even his bat received some scrutiny in college because he played in a hitter-friendly environment in Albuquerque. Garver has been a steady offensive player in pro ball, impressing the Twins with the professional quality of his at-bats and home run power. Where he has seen the most growth is on the defensive side. In particular, Garver has made significant strides in controlling the running game, and he threw out an organization-best 48 percent of basestealers between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester in 2016. Though not as naturally gifted defensively as former system-mate Stuart Turner, Garver has closed the defensive gap between the two catchers. That progress, coupled with Garver's higher offensive ceiling, elevates his standing on the organization's depth chart. The Twins added Garver to the 40-man roster after the 2016 season, and he could factor in the big league team's plans in 2017.

Draft Prospects

Garver is one of the top senior talents in the draft, and could get pushed even further up draft boards because it's a thin year for college catching. Scouts liked him behind the plate in the Cape Cod League last summer, and he has good defensive statistics this spring. He is a good athlete at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, runs well for a catcher and has above-average arm strength. Still, some scouts doubt his ability to catch long-term in pro ball. He'll need to do that to have value because while he's a solid hitter who drives the ball to all fields, it's to the gaps and he doesn't really profile as a corner-quality bat. Scouts also wonder how much of Garver's production is park-related. Heading in the final weekend of the season, he ranked fifth in the country with 84 hits, but he was batting .496 in the thin air in Albuquerque, and .281 on the road. After hitting 10 home runs as a junior--when he went undrafted--he had four this season. Still, as a senior at a premium position, Garver could get pushed up as high as the fifth round.

Career Transactions

Texas Rangers activated C Mitch Garver from the 10-day injured list.
Texas Rangers sent C Mitch Garver on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express.
Texas Rangers sent C Mitch Garver on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express.
Texas Rangers placed C Mitch Garver on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 9, 2023. Mild left knee sprain.