The Milwaukee Brewers posted the best regular season record in baseball last year, but they’re still chasing that elusive deep playoff run. And maybe, just maybe, Garrett Mitchell could be the X-factor they need to finally break through.
Mitchell’s become something of a forgotten man in Milwaukee. He’s got all the tools you want in a center fielder, except for one crucial thing: staying healthy.
Some players just can’t shake the injury bug, and Mitchell might be heading down that path. But what if he’s not? If the 27-year-old can finally string together a full season, he could be exactly what the Brewers need to take that next step in 2026.
“Mitchell is an above-average hitter (career 112 OPS+) and a plus defender in center field,” noted in a new analysis on Saturday. “But he only took 68 at-bats last season, and we haven’t seen him in a game setting since July, when he re-injured his shoulder while on a rehab assignment for an oblique strain.”
That’s the story with Mitchell. He’s spent time on the 60-day IL in each of the last three seasons. For a former first-round pick entering what feels like a make-or-break year, that’s not the track record you want.
But here’s the thing about Milwaukee’s situation.
The Brewers aren’t built on star power. They don’t have a lineup full of 30-home run guys, and their rotation got thinner after trading Freddy Peralta to the Mets this offseason. They need contributions from players who haven’t proven themselves yet.
Mitchell fits that bill perfectly. Other guys on the roster have already shown they’re long-term pieces for this organization. Mitchell hasn’t proven much of anything at the big league level.
That’s what makes 2025 so important for him. The talent is there – you don’t get drafted in the first round without it. He’s shown flashes when healthy, posting that solid OPS+ and playing quality defense in center.
The good news? Mitchell’s expected to have a normal ramp-up into Spring Training, which is more than the Brewers could say last year.
For a team that’s proven it can win during the regular season but needs to find another gear in October, guys like Mitchell could make all the difference. It’s up to him to finally stay on the field long enough to show what he can do.
