Jared Christopher Mitchell (born October 13, 1988) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

and current analyst. He was drafted by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

in the first round of the

2009 Major League Baseball draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

. He played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, where he was the

College World Series Most Outstanding Player The Men's College World Series Most Outstanding Player is an award for the best individual performance during the NCAA Division I Men's College World Series (MCWS) in Omaha, Nebraska. The recipient of the award is announced at the completion of ...

in 2009.

Amateur career

Mitchell attended

Westgate High School Westgate High School is a public high school in unincorporated Iberia Parish, Louisiana, near New Iberia. It is a part of the Iberia Parish School System The Iberia Parish School System is a school district headquartered in New Iberia, Louisi ...

. He was ranked as a top prospect in the 2006 MLB draft out of high school by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' and Perfect Game. Mitchell turned down a $700,000 signing bonus from the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

in order to attend

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

(LSU) after being selected by the club in the 10th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Mitchell played for both the

LSU Tigers baseball The LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in of the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers play home games on LSU's campus at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field, ...

team and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team. He was awarded the

as his team won the

2009 College World Series The 2009 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from May 29 through June 24, 2009 and is part of the 2009 NCAA Division I baseball season. The 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams were selected out of an eligible 286 teams on May 25, ...

. He also played on the 2007 LSU BCS National Championship football team as a wide receiver. He is a rare two-sport college national champion, along with LSU baseball and football teammate

Chad Jones Chad Jonathon Jones (born 15 June 1984) is an Australian rules footballer currently listed with the Claremont Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), having previously played for the and the West Coast Eagles in the Austr ...

. In 2008, he played summer baseball with the

Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox The Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, or Y-D Red Sox, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Red Sox play th ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

Professional career

Chicago White Sox

Mitchell was drafted in the first round ( overall) of the

2009 Major League Baseball Draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

by the

. White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann was familiar with Mitchell because he played the previous two summers in an amateur league near Laumann's Cincinnati-area residence. He began his professional career with the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

Kannapolis Intimidators Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan Counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte, and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. ...

. He finished the season with a .296

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, 12 doubles, two triples, 10 runs batted in, 5 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 139 plate appearances. On March 16, 2010, Mitchell underwent surgery to repair the tear of a tendon in his left ankle. He missed the entire season. He returned to play in 2011 for the

High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Winston-Salem Dash The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games ...

. He finished the 2011 season batting .222 with 31 doubles, 8 triples, 9 home runs, 58 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 52 walks, and 183 strikeouts in 541 plate appearances. In 2012, Mitchell moved up to the Double-A

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...

. Later in the 2012 season, Mitchell was promoted to the Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

. He finished the 2012 season hitting a combined .237 with 24 doubles, 13 triples, 11 home runs, 67 RBI, 21 stolen bases, 78 walks, and 179 strikeouts in 549 plate appearances. On November 19, 2012, the White Sox added Mitchell to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. Mitchell started the 2013 season with Triple-A Charlotte but after hitting .132 in his first 53 at bats, he was demoted back to Double-A Birmingham. He finished the 2013 season batting .167 with 5 home runs, 23 RBI, 17 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 356 plate appearances. Despite the poor season, Mitchell started the 2014 season at Triple-A Charlotte, but again he was demoted to Birmingham. The White Sox removed him from their 40-man roster after the 2014 season and released him on May 3, 2015.

Los Angeles Angels

Mitchell signed a minor league deal with the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

on May 16, 2015. After signing with the Angels, Mitchell played for the Double-A

Arkansas Travelers The Arkansas Travelers, known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play in the Texas League. Hi ...

and Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in South Jordan, Utah, the team plays its home games at The Ballpark at Am ...

. On November 7, 2015, Mitchell elected free agency.

New York Yankees

The

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

signed Mitchell to a minor league contract on February 4, 2016. Mitchell was assigned to the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

of the Class AA Eastern League. After hitting a walk off homer against the Richmond Flying Squirrels on May 17, Mitchell was released by Trenton.

York Revolution

On July 2, 2016, he signed with the York Revolution. During the 2017 season, Mitchell helped lead the team to a championship victory, clocking 122 games with a .295 average and .380 OBP. He slugged .489 with an .869 OPS, as he hit 34 doubles, 3 triples, and 14 homeruns, swiped 24 bases and walked 55 times. He averaged one strike out per game, a considerable improvement from previous years.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 6, 2017, Mitchell signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. Mitchell's release on March 22, 2018, came as a surprise, as he was hitting for an average of .360 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 4 RBI, and 2/2 stolen bases with only 5 Ks in 25 at bats during spring training on the Reds’ Triple A team.

York Revolution (second stint)

On April 11, 2018, Mitchell signed with the

York Revolution The York Revolution is an American professional minor-league baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Basebal ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 117 games for York, he batted .275/.364/.383 with six home runs, 44 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. Mitchell became a free agent following the 2018 season.

Sugar Land Skeeters

On April 15, 2019, Mitchell signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the G ...

of the

. He was released on July 16, 2019. In 63 games he hit .258/.356/.384 with 6 home runs, 28 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

High Point Rockers

On July 31, 2019, Mitchell signed with the

High Point Rockers The High Point Rockers are an American professional minor-league baseball team based at Truist Point ballpark in High Point, North Carolina, which is part of the Piedmont Triad region. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League ...

of the

. He became a free agent following the season. On April 8, 2020, Mitchell re-signed with the Rockers for the 2020 season, but didn't appear in any games as the season was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Eastern Reyes del Tigre

In July 2020, Mitchell signed on to play for the Eastern Reyes del Tigre of the

Constellation Energy League The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for Minor League Baseball, minor league players. History ...

, a makeshift 4-team independent league created as a result of the

, for the 2020 season.

High Point Rockers (second stint)

On May 11, 2021, Mitchell signed with the

of the Atlantic League. In 114 games for the Rockers, he batted .242/.378/.425 with 14 home runs, 66 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Mitchell became a free agent following the season. On April 21, 2022, Mitchell re-signed with the Rockers for the 2022 season. Mitchell appeared in only one game for High Point, going 0-for-3 with a walk, before he was released on April 28. Mitchell later retired from professional baseball and joined ESPN's

SEC Network SEC Network (SECN) is an American multinational sports network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which hold ...

as an analyst in April 2024.

Awards

*2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team *2008 Second-Team All-Louisiana *SEC Freshman of the Week (February 26, 2007) *2009

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Jared 1988 births Living people African-American baseball players Sportspeople from New Iberia, Louisiana Baseball players from Louisiana Baseball outfielders LSU Tigers baseball players Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners LSU Tigers football players Kannapolis Intimidators players Winston-Salem Dash players Birmingham Barons players Peoria Saguaros players Charlotte Knights players Glendale Desert Dogs players Arkansas Travelers players Salt Lake Bees players Trenton Thunder players New Jersey Jackals players York Revolution players Sugar Land Skeeters players High Point Rockers players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen