Miami Marlins Fishing for Prospects: Tyler Mitzel

Tyler Mitzel held opponents to a .183 average with the Clinton LumberKings in 2019.

The Miami Marlins had 274 players appear at some level of their minor league affiliate feeder system in 2019. Tyler Mitzel spent his second year with the team.

Undrafted after his final season of NCAA baseball, the Miami Marlins inked him to a minor league deal on June 1st, 2018. Mitzel had just completed an 12-0 season for the National Champion Augustana College Vikings in the Division 2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. In 80 innings of work, he struck out 76 batters and held the opposition to a 1.071 WHIP.

Mitzel is a 6’4″, 210 lb. right-handed pitcher from Sioux Falls, SD. Three major league players have originated out of Sioux Falls, including 16-season veteran pitcher Terry Forster. Born on May 10th, 1996, Mitzel made his professional debut last season with the GCL Marlins for one game. Soon thereafter, he was promoted to the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs in the New York-Penn League. In 16 relief appearances, Mitzel struck out 27 in 20 2/3 innings, holding opponents to a 4.35 ERA and a .268 batting average.

This season, Mitzel spent all but two games up one level, with the Single-A Clinton LumberKings in the Midwest League. In 24 games, including his only professional start, he struck out 61 batters in 46 1/3 innings, good for a nearly-identical K/9 from the prior season, (11.85-to-11.76 respectively).

On May 4th, Mitzel struck out all four of the batters he faced, getting 15-of-20 pitches over the plate in a 4-3 victory over the South Bend Cubs. Four weeks later, in a 5-3, 10-inning victory against the Kane County Cougars, Mitzel earned the win in relief, striking out three in 3 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing only a single. In his only start, on June 29th, Mitzel earned a 7-2 win over the Quad Cities Bandits, striking out six in five innings and surrendering two unearned runs on four hits and a walk. He was especially good when the bases were empty, holding opponents to a .126/.224/.218 slashline with no runners on.

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At a 1.058 WHIP that was close to his outstanding final-college-season output, Mitzel showed the Miami Marlins that he’s likely ready for the next level. Although he got a relatively late start to his professional career, Mitzel has progressed sufficiently to merit a further look, next season likely with the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League. A best-case scenario would see him getting a shot at the Miami Marlins bullpen sometime as a mid- to late-season callup in 2021.

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