Cedric Mullins, an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2021, has not been nearly as productive over the last two seasons for the Baltimore Orioles, going through struggles for long stretches. Coming up as a top Orioles prospect, Mullins was highly touted, although he had a rough start. In 2021, he was the lone bright spot on a terrible Orioles team. He was an All-Star, hitting 30 home runs and stealing 30 stolen bases. Similarly, Mullins was productive again in 2022, playing elite defense in center field while being a very strong leadoff hitter.
However, Mullins struggled in 2023, batting only .233. In 2024, Mullins has been even worse for the Orioles, possessing a .200 batting average for the Orioles. The Orioles want to have Mullins on the field, as he provides Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field, but he needs to have some success at the plate.
Mullins’ Explosion into Orioles Stardom
Entering the 2021 season, Mullins had been a mediocre player for the Orioles at his best. His short 2020 season was solid, but there was still a lot to build on for the young Oriole. In the 2021 offseason, Mullins became a full-time left-handed hitter, going away from switch-hitting. This switch propelled Mullins into stardom. His 2021 season included an All-Star appearance, a 30-30 season, a Silver Slugger, and he finished ninth in American League MVP voting. Big changes for Mullins included his significantly raised Barrel Percentage and Hard Hit percentage, along with his lowered strikeout rate. Despite a slight dropoff in his stats, Mullins did much of the same in 2022. He seemed to have cemented himself as the center-fielder of the future for the Orioles, being the first of many top prospects to make an impact in the majors.
However, Mullins has not been productive at the plate since the 2022 season, and his future with the team may be in jeopardy.
A Deep Dive into Cedric Mullins’ Struggles
Since 2023, Cedric Mullins has not been a productive hitter for the Orioles. He has had his moments, like hitting for the cycle in 2023, but has not been consistently good. Mullins’s biggest drop-off has been his inability to hit off-speed and breaking pitches.
During his All-Star season, Mullins crushed any off-speed pitch, but over the past two years, that has not been the case. After hitting .317 against sliders in 2021, in the three years since then, Mullins has had a batting average below .200 against the pitch. The slider has been the breaking pitch Mullins has seen the most, so his inability to hit it has resulted in a lot of bad at-bats. Also, despite always being an elite fastball hitter, Mullins has struggled mightily to hit the fastball in 2024. He has had a -2 run value against fastballs, which is bad considering nearly 40 percent of the pitches he sees are fastballs.
Also, Mullins has been walking much less in 2024 than in previous years. His walk rate is just 6.1 percent in 2024, down more than 3 percent from 2023. All of Mullins’ statistics have seen a drop-off. His on-base percentage has significantly dropped over the last few years, which meant in 2023 he stole just 16 bases after stealing more than 30 in the previous twi seasons.
Overall, Mullins has not yet shown many signs of being able to once again become the elite hitter he once was.
Room for Improvement
The Orioles need Cedric Mullins to become an elite hitter again, and there is a way for him to do that. Recently, manager Brandon Hyde has given Mullins a couple of days off, and hopefully, this can help reset his mind and approach.
Brandon Hyde is giving Cedric Mullins a breather. “He’s pressing big time.” #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) May 11, 2024
When Mullins comes back, he must focus on having good at-bats and working deep into counts. He has swung at 35 percent of first pitches this year. In his All-Star season, Mullins swung at just 25 percent of first pitches. Small changes like that can help make a huge difference at the plate. If Cedric Mullins can overcome his recent struggles, the Orioles will become even more dangerous, because they can add yet another All-Star caliber player to their lineup.
Photo Credit: © Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
