Inside The Rangers

WATCH: Team USA Pummels Rangers Prospect Mitch Bratt in WBC

Mitch Bratt, a Texas Rangers Top 30 pitching prospect, drew the start for Team Canada in Monday's WBC game with Team USA and didn't last long.

Matthew Postins

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Texas Rangers pitching prospect Mitch Bratt had a rough outing in his first start for Team Canada against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on Monday in Phoenix.

Bratt, a 19-year-old prospect who hasn’t pitched above Low Class-A for the Rangers, was unable to get out of the first inning against a Team USA lineup stacked with former Most Valuable Players and All-Stars. giving up six earned runs.

Team USA also wasn’t in a good mood after getting dismantled 11-5 by Mexico on Sunday.

The inning began with former AL MVP Mookie Betts hitting a single to right field. Bratt walked former AL MVP Mike Trout and reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases.

From there things got out of hand quickly. Nolan Arenado, a seven-time All-Star, doubled to left, driving home Betts and Trout as Goldschmidt advanced to third.

With Team USA up 2-0 and with two runners on, Kyle Tucker, a World Series winner with the Houston Astros last season, hit a sacrifice fly to left, which drove home Goldschmidt to make it 3-0.

Bratt walked Tim Anderson, a two-time All-Star that won the 2019 AL batting title, to bring up J.T. Realmuto. The three-time All-Star singled to center, scoring Arenado from second to make it 4-0.

At that point, Team Canada made a pitching change and brought in R.J. Freure in relief. But both of the runners on base, which were Bratt’s responsibility, later scored.

Along with the six runs, Bratt gave up three hits and three walks in 1/3 innings. After the first inning, Team Canada was down 9-0. Team USA would win 12-1. 

Bratt was noticeably upset after being pulled.

Bratt is the Rangers’ No. 17 overall prospect as ranked by MLB.com. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He threw just six innings in rookie ball in 2021, but struck out 13 while giving up just one run.

Bratt pitched all of 2022 with the Low Class-A Down East Wood Ducks. He went 5-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) and 80 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 66 hits, 28 runs (22 earned), four home runs and 28 walks. He struck out 99, allowed a .218 opponent batting average and a 1.17 WHIP.

Bratt won all five of his games after mid-June, shaved his ERA under 2.00 as late as the end of July and never allowed it to creep over 3.00 again. His strikeout-to-walk ratio in June was incredible, fanning 21 and giving up two walks in four starts (19 innings). He gave up four runs in a game twice.

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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers for Fan Nation/SI and also writes about the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com.

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