Mitch Garver -- Prospect Evaluation

Mitch Garver, drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 from the University of New Mexico, has steadily progressed through the minor league system despite being selected behind two other catching prospects initially. His development shows consistent improvement, particularly highlighted by strong performance in the Arizona Fall League in 2015 (.317/.404/.512) and 2016 (4 home runs in 19 games despite BABIP issues). After the 2016 season, the Twins elected to add Garver to the 40-man roster rather than expose him to the Rule 5 draft, choosing him over fellow prospect Stuart Turner.

During the 2017 season at AAA Rochester, Garver is performing well offensively with a .277/.382/.531 slash line, 21 doubles, 15 home runs, a 14.4% walk rate, and 23.2% strikeout rate. His managers have employed positional flexibility, using him as the primary catcher in roughly three-quarters of his games while also rotating him through first base, designated hitter, and outfield roles to maximize his offensive contributions. Garver demonstrates quick hands and good pitch recognition at the plate despite a long follow-through on his swing, allowing him to adjust effectively to different pitches.

Mitch Garver, born January 15, 1991 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 9th round (260th overall) in 2013 after attending the University of New Mexico. At 6'1" and 220 pounds, scouts regarded him as a good athlete with above-average arm strength and solid defensive capabilities, particularly after performances in the Cape Cod League. His scouting profile noted he was a solid gap hitter who drove the ball to all fields, though he did not profile as a corner-quality bat. A significant concern was whether his college production was park-dependent, as he batted .496 in the thin air of Albuquerque versus .281 on the road. After hitting 10 home runs as a junior when he went undrafted, his senior season production dropped to four home runs. Despite these concerns, scouts viewed his premium catcher position favorably.

Garver made his MLB debut on August 19, 2017 with Minnesota. Over his career, he accumulated 2,043 at-bats with a .233 batting average, .326 on-base percentage, .440 slugging percentage, and 106 home runs. He was ranked #23 and #17 prospect for the Twins in 2018 and 2017 respectively. In 2020, he was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a pitching prospect. In April 2023, Garver was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a mild left knee sprain and subsequently completed a rehab assignment before being activated.