Blue Jays Nation’s countdown of the top Canadian baseball prospects continues with a left-handed starter who made it up to double-A in his age-20 season last year.

Hometown: Newmarket, ON

Organization: Texas Rangers

Position: Left-handed pitcher

Acquired: 5th round, 2021 Draft (TEX)

For most Canadian baseball fans, their first impression of Mitch Bratt came during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Just 19 at the time, he became the youngest pitcher in Team Canada’s history to feature in a game when he drew the unenviable task of starting against the United States in round-robin play. Bratt failed to get out of the first inning, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks. Despite the tough outing, it appears to have been a valuable experience for the left-hander, as he’s worked his way quickly through the Rangers system ever since.

Bratt signed for an above-slot $850k bonus out of high school and a summer spent in the MLB Draft league, coming out as a 17-year after spending a year at Georgia Premier Academy amidst pandemic shutdowns in Canada. He got off to a fantastic start during his first full year in 2022, maintaining an 11.0 K/9 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.17 WHIP through 18 single-A starts. His advanced feel for pitching has allowed each of his pitches to play up and generate swings and misses while limiting walks.

After his appearance at the WBC, the six foot one, 190-pound hurler started his season at high-A Hickory. His numbers and peripherals remained consistent despite playing tougher competition, managing a 3.54 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 10.8 K/9. His solid work earned him a spot in the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled with walks in a relief role against some of the top bats across the league.

Despite showing that he may be ready for double-A, his youth allowed the Rangers to take it slow, keeping him in Hickory to start the 2024 season. Bratt did about everything you can do to earn a call-up, spinning a 3.03 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 9.8 K/9 across 15 starts (17 outings).

In late July, less than a month after his 21st birthday, he got the call-up to double-A Frisco, logging six starts to close out the season. Some control issues came up at times, but it was a mostly positive experience for a player who was 4.3 years younger than the league’s average.

The former Toronto Mets and Newmarket Hawks standout may be the best out of any Canadian pitcher on this list to carve out a long big-league career. He throws a running low 90’s fastball, mixing in a sweeper and changeup. He’s able to locate and mix them well, with the ability to throw any of them in just about any count.

Bratt previously showed a slow curveball and harder slider in his first taste of pro ball, but has since focused more on the slider (or sweeper), typically throwing it in the high 70s and low 80s. MLB Pipeline’s 17th-ranked Rangers prospect throws his changeup a bit harder, more consistently in the low 80s, a pitch that also has depth to it.

Bratt gets high grades for his control and poise on the mound, possessing a high baseball acumen that should allow him to be a major league rotation fixture for years to come. His floor is probably higher than any other starter on this list when it comes to a future rotation arm, especially since he has over three full campaigns under his belt while still just 21 years old.

The Rangers will likely give Bratt some more run in double-A, where he’ll be poised to produce quality numbers like he has throughout his career. It will be worth monitoring whether he can keep his strikeouts up as the competition gets stiffer in the upper minors and a push to triple-A is likely in his future. Bratt is Rule 5 eligible after this upcoming campaign, so the Rangers will have some decisions to make later this year when it comes to roster spots.

6. Adam Macko

7. Myles Naylor

8. Jonah Tong

9. Dylan O’Rae

10. Dante Nori

11. Erik Sabrowski

12. Damiano Palmegiani

13. Eric Cerantola

14. Dasan Brown

15. Émilien Pitre

16. Adam Maier

17. Liam Hicks

18. David McCabe

19. Calvin Ziegler

20. Jeremy Pilon