Kevin Mitchell, the Unlikely National League MVP
Baseball has a million stories, some more fascinating than others, but few climb to the level of Kevin Mitchell’s. From a troubled high school career to a free agent signing, Mitchell spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, capturing the game’s full attention in 1989.
Fabricated, true, or embellished – the high school days of Mitchell are not fully known or understood. What can be documented, he attended three different high schools in the San Diego (Cali.) area, Lincoln, Clairemont, and Crawford, reportedly, without playing baseball. A tryout held at a junior college, Grossmont College, turned into a free agent signing by the New York Mets and the start of a memorable career.
Working to the Top
The baseball paper trail on Mitchell picks up in 1981, playing Rookie ball in Kingsport. While in Tennessee, Mitchell hit .335 in 62 games with 7 dingers and 45 RBI earning a promotion to A-ball Lynchburg in 1982. The slow climb up the minor league ladder, starting out as a third baseman, later utilized as a utility player, by 1984, Mitchell was at Triple-A Tidewater getting a seven-game call up to the show.
During Mitchell’s seven-game MLB stint, he hit .214 in 14 at bats. The following year, Mitchell was back at Tidewater refining his craft. In 1986, Mitchell made the most of his rookie season, appearing in 108 games. Showing promise as the Mets were rocketing towards a World Series ring, the rookie batted .277 with 12 homers and 43 driven in.
During the postseason, Mitchell made it to the plate 16 times in seven games batting .250 with 2 runs scored. One of the hits was instrumental in the Mets championship run.
In Game 6, down to their final out of the series, in the tenth, after “Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions” briefly showed on the Mets’ scoreboard, catcher Gary Carter singled and then Mitchell got a pitch hit single to represent the tying run. Ray Knight knocked in Carter and Mitchell would score on a passed ball from third to tie the game. To force Game 7, Mookie Wilson hit a grounder to Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner creating a World Series moment replayed yearly.
A nod to Mitchell’s overall athleticism, glove, and arm talent – during the ’86 season he played all three outfield positions, short, third, and first base. Playing the 6 may not have been Mitchell’s strong suit committing six errors in 24 games, but he did what was asked of him on the field.
In mid-December 1986, Mitchell was traded to the San Diego Padres. Through 62 games to start the 1987 schedule, Mitchell hit just .245 in his hometown, but a breakout was coming.
San Francisco Giants
On July 4, 1987, Mitchell was sent to the Giants. The change in scenery up the California coast proved to be a difference maker. For the second half of the ’87 season, Mitchell hit .306 with 15 homers and 44 RBI.
With hopes high going into 1988, Mitchell struggled at the plate batting .251 but had solid power numbers belting 19 home runs with 80 RBI, 25 doubles and 7 triples.
The up and down nature of the game for Mitchell shifted in 1989. Experience and playing full-time in left brought the most unlikely of MLB seasons to the forefront. Mitchell led the NL in five major statistical categories including home runs (47), RBI (125), slugging (.635), on-base plus slugging (1.023), and total bases (345). The totality of his efforts brought NL MVP honors to Mitchell, beating out teammate Will Clark, Pedro Guerrero, and Ryne Sandberg.
Before 1989, Mitchell’s best WAR for a season was in 1987 (3.9). During his MVP campaign, Mitchell ended at 6.9 WAR.
The big year helped the Giants (92-70) win the NL West. San Francisco took the Cubs in five during the NLCS for the right to square off against the Oakland Athletics in another memorable World Series, albeit for the horrifying earthquake captured live on-air. Throughout the postseason, Mitchell hit .324 with 3 dingers and 9 runs batted in. The Bay Area showdown would mark Mitchell’s last appearance in the postseason.
Mitchell earned his second All-Star Game selection in 1990, finishing the season with 35 homers and 93 RBI off a .290 BA. The 1991 season was Mitchell’s last in San Francisco and last as an everyday starter never playing in more than 99 games in a season for the rest of his career.
The last big hurrah came in 1994 with the Cincinnati Reds. Mitchell popped 30 homers in 95 games with a .326 average.
Career Overview
Over 13 years, Mitchell suited up with eight different teams; not previously mentioned: Seattle (1992), Boston (1996), Cleveland (1997) and Oakland (1998). For his career, Mitchell hit .284 with 234 home runs, 760 RBI, and 630 runs scored in 1,223 games.
Kevin Mitchell Gallery Cards
- 1987 Fleer #17 Kevin Mitchell RC
- 1987 O-Pee-Chee #307 Kevin Mitchell RC/Now with Padres
- 2019 Donruss Optic MVP Signatures Purple #MVPKM Kevin Mitchell /25
