Another exciting prospect from the 2017 draft, Josh Mitchell–a 23-year-old relief pitcher for the Lexington Legends–is holding opponents to a measly .205 AVG, a .9 ERA, and a .9 WHIP over 10 IP.  Drafted out of Pittsburgh, the 22nd rounder features a four-pitch-mix with a 4-seam, a 2-seam, a slider, and a change-up. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and his slider has tight spin that can back-foot RHH and fool LHH. His change is a nice third offering to keep RHH off balance, and he throws all three pitches for strikes. Recently, @AwzRocks interviewed Josh, and asked him what he thinks about each pitch and which is his favorite, Josh replied,

“My favorite is the fastballs for sure.  And the slider is something I’ve been throwing for a while now and use as my out pitch.  I finally found a grip with the change up that is really consistent.”

Awesome stuff. Really encouraging sign from Josh and Lexington as a whole. They seem to be building a nice core down in Low-A ball; if you are to watch any of the royals minor league affiliates, check out Lexington. They are fun to watch, but I digress.

This was the first time I had ever seen Josh Mitchell Pitch. This was tweeted to @RoyalsFarm and I don’t think anyone really expected the Royals to find a good arm in the mid- to late-rounds of the draft, but crazier things have happened (ala Jake Junis).

The deception in his delivery will throw LHH off all day. From what I’ve seen, his arm slot varies from high 3/4 to downhill, and he is definitely best when he pitches downhill and stays on top of the ball. Mainly a starter in college, he likely will remain in the bullpen where his velocity plays up.

Great find for the Royals, this kid added velocity to his fastball over the summer with @PVSbaseball, and worked hard on throwing more strikes with all three pitches. The results look good so far, although he is likely due for some regression with a .251 BABIP and a 2.87 FIP–However, these are still excellent numbers and should vault him through the system. I can’t help but to root for guys like this: small-town dude, with big dreams, and the work ethic to boot. Keep an eye out for Josh Mitchell.