The Milwaukee Brewers may have gotten a steal with their first round pick in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.
UCLA center fielder Garrett Mitchell was projected as a top 10 pick in the draft, so the Brewers were certainly excited to see him fall to 20th in Wednesday night’s opening round.
There was some speculation that teams considered him a risk because he has Type 1 diabetes, but that didn’t scare the Brewers away. Mitchell learned of his condition when he was eight years old and has learned to live with it.
The Brewers selected prep pitcher Dylan Covey with their top pick in 2010. He was discovered to have Type 1 diabetes in his draft physical, decided to pass on the Brewers and attend college.
Mitchell is considered a top defensive center fielder with speed and batted lead-off for the Bruins. he hit .349 during his sophomore season and led the nation with 12 triples. This past season, Mitchell was off to a .355 start when the Bruins season was suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the second time Mitchell was drafted. He went in the 14th round of the 2017 draft but decided instead to go to UCLA.
The Brewers have four more picks on the second and final day of the draft on Thursday.