‘I’m going to be a Royal’: Top KC draft pick Blake Mitchell excited to begin MLB career
Blake Mitchell fell in love with Kansas City from the moment he arrived.
That happened last year. The Texas native played in the 2022 Under Armour All-America Game at Kauffman Stadium. He won the game’s MVP award after going 4 for 4 and recording five RBIs.
Mitchell also got a taste of KC’s famous barbecue cuisine, even if he can’t remember the exact local establishment at which he dined.
He will have ample time to select his favorite BBQ spot in Kansas City. The Royals selected Mitchell with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
“I knew the Royals were interested,” he said Monday, “but I didn’t find out until two or three minutes before the pick was in.”
Mitchell became the second high school athlete selected by the Royals in the last three years. In 2021, the Royals picked pitcher Frank Mozzicato out of East Catholic High in Connecticut.
Mitchell, who starred at Sinton High in Texas, was committed to LSU. But on Monday he silenced any concerns regarding his signability. Major League Baseball’s assigned value for the No. 8 pick this year is $5,980,100.
“I am going to be a Royal. I can’t wait,” Mitchell said.
The Royals scouted Mitchell over the last year. They love his defensive ability and potential at the plate. He posted a .474 batting average this past season, with 14 doubles, six home runs, 41 RBIs and 35 steals.
Mitchell is also a two-time Gatorade Texas Player of the Year. He is also the rare catcher who bats left and throws right. He profiles as a consistent hitter with power potential as he develops in the minor leagues.
“I can hit for average and power,” Mitchell said. “I am not scared to use left-center (field) to the left foul pole. I trust my hands to let the ball get deep, let it travel and hit the ball away with a bunch of power.”
Mitchell compared his athletic makeup to that of MLB standouts Jose Trevino and Bryce Harper. He studied their film and likes to emulate different aspects of their game.
Royals scouting director Danny Ontiveros made a similar comparison. He indicated that Mitchell boasts intangibles rarely seen outside of elite athletes like Harper.
“I’ve done this job for 27 years, and you know I understand the stigma attached to high school catchers,” Ontiveros said. “But I haven’t really seen a catcher like this.
“You talk about just all facets of this game. I mean, he’s intelligent. He’s got makeup. He’s tough. He’s built right. It’s a double-plus arm. He can hit. He can hit for power. He runs. He just did everything.”
Mitchell is expected to sign his contract with the Royals organization soon. Then he will likely head to the Arizona Sports League (ASL) for rookie ball.
Royals shortstop and fellow Texas native Bobby Witt Jr. has already reached out to Mitchell. He sent him a congratulatory text message.
“Getting to see that, the text from him, means a lot,” Mitchell said. “Just knowing (the Royals) care about their players. I just want to continue to keep growing in the system and hopefully learn a lot from him.”
Mitchell also discussed wanting to learn from Royals captain Salvador Perez. The longtime veteran has mentored several of the organization’s young catchers, including Freddy Fermin and MJ Melendez.
In the Royals’ farm system, Mitchell will join fellow catcher Carter Jensen as the next wave of talent at his position. He is excited for the opportunity and is hoping to matriculate to the majors at an accelerated rate.
“I want to be on the fastest track,” Mitchell said. “I know I can do that with the Royals. They love their homegrown players and I just want to keep succeeding in the minors. Hopefully, I can get there (the majors) in a couple of years.”
The Royals also selected Blake Wolters and Carson Roccaforte during night one of the 2023 MLB Draft, which continued Monday and concludes Tuesday. Wolters is a high-school pitcher from Mahomet-Seymour High in Illinois, while Roccaforte played center field at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Mitchell was thrilled to hear his name called and looks forward to meeting his future teammates.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play big-league baseball since I was a kid,” Mitchell said. “Having that opportunity to get my name called in the first round of the MLB Draft meant so much to me.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2023 at 2:31 PM with the headline "‘I’m going to be a Royal’: Top KC draft pick Blake Mitchell excited to begin MLB career."
