Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Breakout Hitting Prospects for 2020

Outfielder, Cal Mitchell, Double-A Altoona 2020 Projection

The second prospect that could break out is another outfielder who is not far behind Oliva.  In 2016, the Pittsburgh Pirates used a second round pick on California prep outfielder Cal Mitchell.  The left-handed hitting outfielder, was and continues to, project as a potential power hitting outfielder with plus athleticism.

Mitchell played the the 2019 season at High-A Bradenton where he was one of the best hitters in the first half.  Through his first 59 games, the lefty batted .280 with seven home runs and 32 runs batted in.  The biggest concern from the first half was that he struck out 75 times.  His swing and miss carried into the second half when he struck out another 67 times.  He batted just .218 and his on-base percentage was less than .300.   Still, he hit another eight home runs giving him 15 in 118 total games.

Mitchell had a very good start to the year, and continued to show power potential as well.  He has always had a long swing and will likely continue to strike out at an above-average clip.  However, if he can learn a little more plate discipline, he could become a very dangerous hitter.  Look for Mitchell to put together a much more complete season this year at Double-A.