Rangers Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Mitch Bratt
InsidetheRangers.com will review each of the Texas Rangers’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2022 season.
No. 17: LHP Mitch Bratt, Down East (Low Class-A)
Statistics for 2022: A 5-5 record with a 2.45 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) and 80 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 66 hits, 28 runs (22 earned), four home runs and 28 walks. He struck out 99, allowed a .218 opponent batting average and a 1.17 WHIP.
Season Transactions: Assigned to Down East on April 30.
Season Summary: Bratt took some lumps early in his first full professional season. But he won all five of his games after mid-June, shaved his ERA under 2.00 as late as the end of July and never allowed it to creep over 3.00 again. His strikeout-to-walk ratio in June was incredible, fanning 21 and giving up two walks in four starts (19 innings). He gave up four runs in a game twice.
Path Through the Organization: The Canadian lefty migrated to Georgia Premier Academy in Statesboro, Ga., to get seen by MLB scouts when COVID-10 prevented them from coming to him. He competed in the MLB Draft League and, based on that, the Rangers made him a fifth-round pick in 2021 and paid him an $850,000 bonus. Bratt pitched just six innings in rookie ball last season but didn’t give up a run and struck out 13. Yes, 13 of his 18 outs were strikeouts. He was reportedly just as impressive in instructional league.
What’s next: Being left-handed will get you plenty of chances in pro baseball. Being a quality left-handed pitcher will help you cruise through an organization, if you can maintain it. By any standard, Bratt’s first full pro season was a success. Just 19, the Rangers don’t have to rush him. A promotion to High Class-A Hickory should happen in 2023. So should some trade feelers from teams looking for good, young arms.
2022 Texas Rangers Top 30 Prospect Wraps:
No. 30: Josh Stephan | No. 29: Mason Englert | No. 28: Marc Church | No. 27: Danyer Cueva | No. 26: Alejandro Osuna | No. 25: Zak Kent | No. 24: Dane Acker | No. 23: Avery Weems | No. 22: Emiliano Teodo | No. 21: Jonathan Ornelas | No. 20: Gleider Figuereo | No. 19: Thomas Saggese| No. 18: Maximo Acosta
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