VIDEO: 'Player Taken Before Mike Trout' Opens Up About MLB Struggles and Independent Ball Comeback
By Mark Powell
What's it like to be the player selected one slot before Mike Trout? Pretty tough. Now what happens if you can't live up to the lofty expectations placed on a first-round pick in the MLB Entry Draft? We're talking about an all-time bust. Yet, it's not that simple for former Chicago White Sox prospect Jared Mitchell, who was selected with the 23rd pick in 2009. In an ESPN interview, Mitchell opened up about his MLB struggles, mostly due to injury, and his attempt at a comeback in the Independent League with the Sugar Land Skeeters.
Mitchell was a National Champion at LSU in both football and baseball. In Chicago, he was expected to rise rapidly through the system, yet a severe injury set him back. In the aftermath, Mitchell struggled to find his game or regain much feeling in his lower body. In fact, the now-30-year-old admits he didn't really feel much like himself until a 2014-15 stint with the Trenton Thunder.
Unfortunately, that chance ended abruptly when the Yankees cut him.
Thank you so much to @espn and @pedrogomezESPN for coming out and producing such an amazing profile of Skeeters OF Jared Mitchell, which aired on @SportsCenter. Click the link below to watch Mitchell’s grit and perseverance to make the big leagues! https://t.co/TzNYENZJJz
— Sugar Land Skeeters (@SL_Skeeters) June 9, 2019
To be selected before an icon is tough enough. To be dealt the hand of Mitchell is some cruel and unusual punishment. Thankfully, this former LSU Tiger has learned to roll with the punches and make the best of a tough situation. If an MLB team comes calling, he'll be ready.