P2Daily: Cal Mitchell Continued Minor League Progression, Is The Majors Next?

When it is all said and done, if you can get through a minor league season healthy, and find a way to improve, chances are you are doing something right.

Cal Mitchell doesn’t always post the most eye popping numbers, but there is no denying that the outfielder has improved each year since being drafted by the Pirates.

After a successful 2021 season with the Altoona Curve, he started this past season in Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians. He’d eventually made his major league debut, and played in 69 games with the Pirates. He came through with some big hits but mostly struggled, slashing .226/.286/.349 with five home runs and 17 RBI.

While his debut in the majors didn’t go well, he tore up Triple-A pitching while with Indianapolis. Mitchell hit .339/.391/.547 in 63 games, and his batting average was the best in the entire Pirates minor leagues among those who qualified, according to Baseball Reference’s criteria.

He hit nine home runs in around 250 minor league at-bats, and at that pace seemed on his way to break his previous career high of 15. When combining his major league home runs, he comes one short of that total.

Mitchell has improved each year, and if continues that trend, seeing that he mastered Triple-A, the next step would be to improve at the major league level.

He closed the season out fairly strong, slashing .267/.360/.373 with a home run and five doubles in 86 plate appearances after September till the end of the year. If he can carry that finish into next year, it could very well be another season of improvement for Mitchell, this time being in the majors.