Jared Mitchell (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jared Mitchell |
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Mitchell with the LSU Tigers
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 13, 1988 New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jared Christopher Mitchell, born on October 13, 1988, is a former professional baseball player from America. He used to play as an outfielder and now works as a sports analyst. The Chicago White Sox picked him in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He played college baseball for LSU, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2009 College World Series.
Contents
Mitchell's Early Baseball Days
Playing in High School
Jared Mitchell went to Westgate High School. Even in high school, experts like Baseball America and Perfect Game thought he was a top player.
Choosing College Over Pro Baseball
In the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, the Minnesota Twins picked Mitchell. They offered him a lot of money, about $700,000, to sign with them. But Mitchell decided to go to Louisiana State University (LSU) instead. He wanted to play college sports.
"They came at me hard but kept [the offer] around the same as the original," Mitchell said. "I had a number in my head, and they never got there. It's a great organization; things just didn't work out when we had a chance to do something. Who knows what will happen three years down the line?"
College Sports Star
At LSU, Mitchell was a two-sport athlete. He played for both the LSU Tigers baseball team and the football team. In 2009, he helped the LSU baseball team win the 2009 College World Series. He was even named the Most Outstanding Player of that series. He also played on the 2007 LSU BCS National Championship football team as a wide receiver. It's pretty rare to win national championships in two different college sports, but Mitchell did it, just like his teammate Chad Jones. In 2008, he also played summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Jared Mitchell's Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox drafted Mitchell in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 23rd player picked overall. The White Sox scouting director, Doug Laumann, knew Mitchell well because he had played in an amateur league near Laumann's home.
Mitchell started his professional career with the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators. In his first season, he had a .296 batting average. He also hit 12 doubles, two triples, and had 10 runs batted in. He stole 5 bases and walked 23 times.
Dealing with Injuries
On March 16, 2010, Mitchell had surgery on his left ankle. He had torn a tendon, which meant he missed the entire 2010 season.
He came back to play in 2011 for the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. In 2011, he batted .222. He hit 31 doubles, 8 triples, and 9 home runs. He also had 58 runs batted in and stole 14 bases.
Moving Up in the Minors
In 2012, Mitchell moved up to the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Later that same year, he was promoted again to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. For the whole 2012 season, he hit .237 combined. He had 24 doubles, 13 triples, and 11 home runs. He also had 67 runs batted in and stole 21 bases.
In November 2012, the White Sox added Mitchell to their 40-man roster. This protected him from being picked by other teams in the Rule 5 draft.
Challenges and Release
Mitchell started the 2013 season with Triple-A Charlotte. However, he struggled at the plate, hitting only .132 in his first games. Because of this, he was sent back down to Double-A Birmingham. He finished the 2013 season batting .167. He hit 5 home runs and had 23 runs batted in. He also stole 17 bases.
Despite a tough 2013 season, Mitchell started 2014 back at Triple-A Charlotte. But again, he was sent down to Birmingham. The White Sox took him off their 40-man roster after the 2014 season. They released him on May 3, 2015.
Playing for Other Teams
Los Angeles Angels
After leaving the White Sox, Mitchell signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on May 16, 2015. He played for their Double-A team, the Arkansas Travelers, and their Triple-A team, the Salt Lake Bees. In November 2015, Mitchell became a free agent.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees signed Mitchell to a minor league contract on February 4, 2016. He was assigned to the Trenton Thunder in the Class AA Eastern League. He hit a walk-off home run in May 2016, but was released by Trenton shortly after.
York Revolution
On July 2, 2016, Mitchell joined the York Revolution, an independent league team. In 2017, he helped the team win a championship. He played 122 games and had a .295 batting average. He also hit 34 doubles, 3 triples, and 14 home runs. He stole 24 bases and walked 55 times.
Cincinnati Reds
On December 6, 2017, Mitchell signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. However, he was released on March 22, 2018. This was a bit of a surprise because he was playing well in spring training for the Reds' Triple-A team.
Second Time with York Revolution
On April 11, 2018, Mitchell signed with the York Revolution again. He played 117 games for York. He batted .275 with six home runs, 44 runs batted in, and 33 stolen bases. He became a free agent after the 2018 season.
Sugar Land Skeeters
On April 15, 2019, Mitchell signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters. He played 63 games, hitting .258 with 6 home runs, 28 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases. He was released on July 16, 2019.
High Point Rockers
On July 31, 2019, Mitchell signed with the High Point Rockers. He became a free agent after that season. He re-signed with the Rockers for the 2020 season, but no games were played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Constellation Energy League
In July 2020, Mitchell played for the Eastern Reyes del Tigre. This was a special 4-team independent league created because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Third Time with High Point Rockers
On May 11, 2021, Mitchell signed with the High Point Rockers for a third time. In 114 games, he batted .242 with 14 home runs, 66 runs batted in, and 27 stolen bases. He became a free agent after the season.
Mitchell re-signed with the Rockers for the 2022 season on April 21, 2022. He only played one game before being released on April 28.
Life After Baseball
Jared Mitchell later retired from playing professional baseball. In April 2024, he joined ESPN's SEC Network as a sports analyst.
Awards and Honors
- 2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
- 2008 Second-Team All-Louisiana
- SEC Freshman of the Week (February 26, 2007)
- 2009 College World Series Most Outstanding Player
