Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 70 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

A two-time Gatorade Player of the Year winner in Texas, Mitchell also used his performance with the U.S. national junior team to vault himself into becoming the eighth overall pick in 2023. He signed for below slot at $4,897,500 with the savings going toward other members of the Draft class. In his first full season, Mitchell was named Kansas City's 2024 George Brett Hitter of the Year after slashing .238/.376/.439 with 18 homers in 106 games for Single-A Columbia. He finished out his age-19 season with five games for High-A Quad Cities, and his final 135 wRC+ between both spots was tops among Royals full-season Minor Leaguers and best among qualified full-season teenaged catchers. The start to his 2025 season was delayed when he broke his right hamate bone early in Spring Training.

Batting from the left side, Mitchell has a swing designed for lift and pull, and the plurality of his contact came via flyballs in 2024. His load is rather simple with a slight leg lift, and the Royals worked with the backstop on keeping his stance from getting too wide in the box. He could challenge for 30-plus homers at his eventual peak. Mitchell isn't a quick runner but knows when to pick his spots on the basepaths -- ranking third in the Minors among catchers with 26 total steals.

The Texas native has plus-plus arm strength -- he touched 97 mph as an amateur pitcher -- but he'll need to work on improving his accuracy after catching only 14.4 percent of attempted basestealers in 2024. As is typical of modern catchers, he isn't afraid of putting one knee down and getting low in his defensive stance to steal strikes, and he has the athleticism to receive and block well as he develops. K.C. knows something about having a homegrown franchise catcher, and Mitchell is on his way to that status as he enters his 20s.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 35 | Arm: 70 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Mitchell was a rare two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas out of Sinton High School in 2022 and 2023 and further boosted his Draft stock with impressive performances for the U.S. junior team, including the 2022 club that won the 18-and-under World Cup. Ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the 2023 Draft class, Mitchell went to the Royals eighth overall and signed below slot at $4,897,500, thus allowing Kansas City the pool space to sign Blake Wolters, Hiro Wyatt and Jared Dickey. He went just 5-for-34 (.147) in 13 games in the Arizona Complex League after signing but did walk more than he struck out (17/14) and impressed with a better showing in fall instructs.

The left-handed slugger has plus raw pop and a swing that is geared to lift the ball on contact, leading to promising power projections. As his ACL time proved, he can be selective at the plate while he waits for the right pitch to drive too, and there's hope that approach can help turn him into at least an average hitter over time. There are some concerns about swing-and-miss for now that deserve monitoring, especially as his professional workload increases.

Mitchell touched 97 mph off the mound as an amateur, and his plus-plus arm strength will work nicely in the modern game with teams pushing the envelope on the basepaths. Despite being a well-below-average runner, he has enough athleticism and agility to be at least an average blocker and receiver during his development cycle. Prep catchers don't have a great track record of meeting their potential, but the Lone Star State native has enough of an exciting foundation to beat the odds. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 35 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Although the high school catching demographic scares clubs in the first round, it's otherwise hard to find fault with Mitchell, who went eighth overall to the Royals and signed below slot at $4,897,500. He has tools on both sides of the ball, a fallback option as a pitcher and a long track record of performance. He played for the U.S. junior team the past two summers, winning the gold-medal game at the 18-and-under World Cup with 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Taiwan in September. He also led Sinton HS to the Texas 4-A title as a junior and won Gatorade state player of the year honors in both 2022 and 2023.

Mitchell's strength, bat speed and patient approach should enable him to hit for power and average from the left side of the plate. A Louisiana State recruit, he shows the aptitude to work counts in search of pitches he can drive and attacks them with a lofty left-handed stroke that produces pop to all fields. He doesn't have the smoothest swing, and his power comes with some strikeouts, but he still makes a lot of hard contact. 

Mitchell would fit the offensive profile in right field if he couldn't stick behind the plate, but there's no reason to doubt he'll be a catcher. Although he's a well-below-average runner, he's an athletic and agile defender who projects at least as an average receiver and blocker with double-plus arm strength. He would have fit into the top two rounds as a pitcher, with an easy delivery that produces a fastball that reaches 97 mph, a downer curveball and a promising changeup with tumble.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 35 | Arm: 70 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55 

Although the high school catching demographic scares clubs in the first round, it's otherwise hard to find fault with Mitchell, who could go in the top 15 picks come July. He has tools on both sides of the ball, a fallback option as a pitcher and a long track record of performance. He played for the U.S. junior team the last two summers, winning the gold-medal game at the 18-and-under World Cup with 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Taiwan in September. He also led Sinton HS to the Texas 4-A title as a junior and won Gatorade state player of the year honors in both 2022 and 2023.

Mitchell's strength, bat speed and patient approach should allow him to hit for power and average from the left side of the plate. A Louisiana State recruit, he shows the aptitude to work counts in search of pitches he can drive and attacks them with a left-handed stroke with loft that produces pop to all fields. He doesn't have the smoothest swing and his power comes with some strikeouts, but he still makes a lot of hard contact. 

Mitchell would fit the offensive profile in right field if he couldn't stick behind the plate, but there's no reason to doubt he'll be a catcher. Although he's a well-below-average runner, he's an athletic and agile defender who projects at least as an average receiver and blocker with double-plus arm strength. He'd fit into the top two rounds as a pitcher, with an easy delivery that produces a fastball that reaches 97 mph, a downer curveball and a promising changeup with tumble.

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America Low Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2024

CAR Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/08/2025	American League Fall Stars activated C Blake Mitchell.
	09/10/2025	C Blake Mitchell assigned to Surprise Saguaros.
	07/07/2025	C Blake Mitchell assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from ACL Royals.
	06/23/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits sent C Blake Mitchell on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	05/05/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits sent C Blake Mitchell on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	05/05/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits sent C Blake Mitchell on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	05/05/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits sent C Blake Mitchell on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	04/04/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits placed C Blake Mitchell on the 7-day injured list.
	04/04/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits placed C Blake Mitchell on the 7-day injured list.
	03/06/2025	activated C Blake Mitchell.
	01/10/2025	Kansas City Royals invited non-roster C Blake Mitchell to spring training.
	09/03/2024	C Blake Mitchell assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies.
	09/03/2024	Quad Cities River Bandits activated C Blake Mitchell.
	04/03/2024	C Blake Mitchell assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals.
	03/15/2024	C Blake Mitchell assigned to Kansas City Royals.
	03/07/2024	Kansas City Royals Prospects activated C Blake Mitchell.
	07/31/2023	C Blake Mitchell assigned to ACL Royals.
	07/15/2023	Kansas City Royals signed C Blake Mitchell.
	06/06/2023	C Blake Mitchell assigned to College Workout.
	08/24/2022	C Blake Mitchell assigned to USA Baseball 18U National Team.
	08/24/2022	USA Baseball 18U National Team activated C Blake Mitchell.
	07/01/2022	High School Workout activated C Blake Mitchell.
	07/01/2022	C Blake Mitchell assigned to High School Workout.
	07/01/2022	High School Workout activated C Blake Mitchell.