NEWMARKET, Ontario - An offer more than double the slot number made the decision to turn pro an easy one for Mitch Bratt.

“My dad and I talked about it and what we thought was suitable as far as what would last a couple years,” explained the fifth-round selection by the Texas Rangers in the recent Major League Baseball Draft. 

In becoming the first to sign out of the 2021 class by the Rangers, Bratt inked a pact for $850,000, well above the slot number of $418,200.

The Newmarket High School 2021 was in West Virginia when chosen with the 134th pick in the MLB Draft.

“My mom and dad came down, which was good to have them for support,” related Bratt, who grew up in Toronto. “It was a roller coaster of emotions. One minute you think you're going to school and the next the Rangers offer you a spot.” 

The top-ranked 2021 left-handed pitcher in Canada reflected on draft day.

“The Rangers called my advisor and he was texting me,” Bratt reflected. “He said the number was suitable for this pick and they were two picks away. It all happened quickly.

“The next day I was relaxing and I found out they were flying me down. I was the first one to sign out of those they drafted. When I went down there I saw the field and it was cool, along with all the technology they had.”

Bratt pointed to a handful of teams that showed interest prior to the 20-round draft, “but none to the extent of the Rangers” according to the recently-turned 18-year-old .

“My agent gave me a rundown of the possibilities,” the 11th-rated 2021 left-handed pitcher in North America said. “He wanted me to keep an open mind. I was in the middle with school or pro ball, but he gave me credit for staying with my (desired) number. I was optimistic about the possibilities, whatever happened.”

A Florida State commit, the 6-1 200-pounder was in contact with the Atlantic Coast Conference school during the draft as well 

“I talked with them just before I heard and after,” Bratt related. “I told them my plan and they respected it. Once I was drafted they said congratulations. The next day I called them out of respect for all they’d done for me.”

The idea of being a professional baseball player is hard to explain for the second-ranked 2021 in Canada.

“It still hasn’t hit me,” Bratt said. “It’s something that’s been on my mind the last year-and-a-half or two years, having Florida State in my back pocket if the draft doesn’t go as planned. This is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get started and work my way up.”

Bratt got a taste of what his future might resemble the past couple months.

“I’ve been in West Virginia since the middle of May with the MLB Draft League,” Bratt noted. “It’s been a great introduction to what pro ball might be like. We were on the road for four days and then home for three. The camaraderie and days are a lot different than at home. There’s a lot more focus and determination to get to the next level. It was good to be part of that.”

Bratt will leave this weekend for an introduction into the Arizona Complex League, with the Rangers allowing him to participate for Team Canada in the World Championships Sept. 2-20. That will be followed by the Arizona Fall League which lasts until November.
‘I just want to stay on the same path I’ve been on and get one percent better every day,” Bratt said about his goals for the future. “Look at yourself in the mirror each day … Did I get better or worse?

“This is a good opportunity, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be put in to get better every day,” Bratt added. “It’s my job now. They’re paying me to get better and I want to reward them, too.”