Spring success gives Mitchell 'collected' attitude

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Jared Mitchell is completely healthy, hitting the ball hard during the early stages of Cactus League action and finds himself in as good of a place offensively as he probably has been since joining the White Sox. That combination should add up to an unparalleled excitement level for Mitchell to start the season.

The 24-year-old has a different take on the feeling emanating from this success.

"I kind of got myself to a calm and cool and collected place," Mitchell said. "It's exciting, don't get me wrong. But I'm more laid back this year, I guess you could say. I know what opportunity is ahead of me, and realistically it's kind of the same opportunity that has been there every year, especially in this organization.

"If you perform and do things right, you will move. But it doesn't excite me any more than it has any other year. When you feel like you start doing things right and feel yourself getting better, it puts me in a calm and collected place."

Mitchell didn't get to the plate Sunday in Peoria, but knocked out a no-doubt-about-it, opposite-field homer to left-center during Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Reds. The repetition of getting consistent at-bats has helped Mitchell, but if his early calm is to carry over into the season, the left-handed-hitting Mitchell would like to see more hits going the opposite way.

"With my skill set, I need to be able to use the whole field," Mitchell said. "I try to stay up the middle of the field."