Garrett

Mitchell

Mitchell hit the go-ahead shot off Phil Maton after Jackson Chourio tied the game with a homer earlier in the frame. It was Mitchell’s first career postseason homer after he was left off the Wild Card roster in 2023. He had previously entered the game as a pinch-runner, only to be caught stealing on a great throw from Francisco Alvarez. Milwaukee’s win means there will be at least one game on Thursday. Tobias Myers is expected to get the ball for Milwaukee, while the Mets will likely rely on Jose Quintana.

Frelick was limping heavily as he exited the contest. The outfielder will likely need to undergo imaging to determine the severity of the injury, and Garrett Mitchell has taken over.

Mitchell was responsible for the only run of the game for the Brew Crew with a solo shot in the seventh off an otherwise dominant Brandon Pfaadt. Mitchell has gone deep three times in September, and has a solid .820 OPS for the month.

Mitchell did get caught stealing on a silly mistake in the first inning when he was on first base, but to say it didn’t matter was quite the understatement. He would end up drawing three free passes in this one, and he also smacked a two-run homer off Dylan Floro. The 26-year-old has (relatively) quietly put up an .809 OPS in his 57 games, and he’ll be an intriguing “sleeper” for 2025 — assuming he has a full-time role, of course.

Mitchell still hasn’t had any opportunity against lefties, but he has started against every righty lately, and he’s hit .306/.359/.722 with three homers and three steals in 13 games (nine starts) since Aug. 24. It’s hard to trust him in mixed leagues, particularly given that the Brewers themselves don’t entirely trust him, but he can help when he plays.

Mitchell also doubled and singled in the first game, so he hit for the cycle on the day. After sitting in favor of Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick for three straight games from Sunday-Wednesday, he’s gone 6-for-10 with two homers, two walks and two steals the last two days. His OPS stands at .808, and it really seems like he should be getting the nod over Frelick most of the time. There’s the possibility of mixed-league fantasy value here in September.

Mitchell gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead with a solo homer off Hayden Birdsong. The outfielder picked up his third homer of the season, while the stolen base was the fifth. Mitchell has had a decent campaign when available, and there’s long-term potential in his left-handed bat. It may take leaving the Brewers for him to reach his potential, however.

The Brewers are rolling with Blake Perkins as their regular center fielder since he came off the IL, and they’re typically picking Sal Frelick over Mitchell in right, even though Mitchell hits higher in the order than Frelick when he plays and probably is the better of the two quality defenders (at least, he’s the one who plays center when both are in the lineup together). Mitchell is batting .242/.336/.358 with four steals in 137 plate appearances since returning from a fractured finger at the beginning of July.

Perkins’ injury probably means that Garrett Mitchell will play versus lefties as well as righties, giving him fantasy value a boost. Perkins’ offense has fallen off recently, but he’ll be missed; he’s been quite valuable for the Brewers this season while playing some of the best center field in the league.

Tyler Black has joined the Brewers and would be added to the roster if Perkins does land on the IL. Perkins has mostly played against lefties of late, and Garrett Mitchell might take those responsibilities, in addition to his duties against righties, while Perkins is out.