Mitch Guerra is in the Final Five of Survivor 48, and that is an achievement for him to be proud of. He has represented himself well, showing how someone with a stutter or other difference can still succeed on the show, and built strong relationships and communication. He is an inspiration for a lot of people, and also comes across as a true, genuine, and good human being.
However, a lot has been said about Mitch's gameplay that may not be in his favor. While he is in the final five, he has done so in a very passive way. Survivor, especially in the new era, requires some form of agency to win the game, and it has not appeared that he has had any. He has had the opportunity to make moves, but instead has stuck with the status quo.
Mitch has made many references to not liking how the season is playing out and wanting to make a move. The problem with his assessment is that he has had a chance on multiple occasions to change the direction, but has chosen not to do so. At the final eight, he could have taken out Eva and backed out, and at seven, he could have done the same with Joe, and once again backed out.
Honestly, these choices will be hard for Mitch to defend to the jury. It begs the question: Does he actually have a path to winning?
Mitch will need to work overtime to have a shot to win
The path to Mitch winning Survivor 48 is incredibly uphill, and in truth, may not even be possible this late in the game. Even at the Final 8, it appeared he may have blown his shot, and things have not gotten better in the weeks since. While there is reasoning on his part for not making moves, largely based on his trust of others, it does not mean that it will be viewed well by a jury.
Right now, Mitch does not really have any argument in front of the jury as to why he deserves to win. Therefore, his only shot going into the finale is to pull off some major move that can help him build a resume that resonates with voters. With the Final Five, two players likely beat anyone should they make it to the end: Joe Hunter and Kyle Fraser.
Mitch has to pull the trigger on one of the two of them at the Final Five, depending on who wins immunity. In the Final Four, there is no way to directly vote the other person out. Therefore, his only shot is to ensure anyone other than Kyle/Joe wins immunity, and then they would have to lose in fire-making as well. However, for him to be able to count it as his move, he needs to be the one to go to the fire against them and win.
Truthfully, this ending is highly improbable for a few reasons. For one, Mitch has not done particularly well in most challenges, and it is unclear how he would be able to compete in a fire-making challenge either. More likely than not, either Joe or Kyle will win the final four immunity challenge anyway. Second, Mitch has shown reluctance to make active moves or go against his alliance, so the idea of him orchestrating a blind side seems less likely.
Still, if he was somehow able to make both of those moves and sit at the end against Kamilla Karthigesu and Eva Erickson, he could at least make an argument for himself. It is possible he would still lose even then, given Kamilla's moves thus far and her underdog story, and Eva's friends on the jury. It would be his best bet, though, and the only path I see for him to become the season 48 winner.
Mitch Guerra is a person who is easy to root for as a human. He has played a strong social game that has left him in the good graces of most players, and fans from home have been largely supportive of him as a human. He is kind, caring, and inspirational to many. In general, many people want to see him do well, and he could even be the favorite to win by some based purely on his personality.
That said, fans cannot ignore Mitch's lack of gameplay this season, and neither can the jury. This does not take away from who he is, but as a Survivor player, he has lacked this season. He will have to do exactly what is above to give him a chance at this point, and only time will tell whether he pulls it off or even makes the attempt.