Cedric Mullins 2024

[OriolesMagic83]

12 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

If he can just get back to career averages, it would be amazing to have him back in the leadoff spot

I would be ok with him batting 9th.  He can call himself 1st leadoff batter.

[Fiver6565]

1 hour ago, DirtyBird said:

Good to hear the slump is officially over. 

Are you suggesting it’s not?  Two good at bats Sat night followed by two hits and a SB Sunday. Certainly worth not benching the guy

[DirtyBird]

2 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

If he can just get back to career averages, it would be amazing to have him back in the leadoff spot

If he raised his OPS 160 points to his .740 career number, that would still be almost 200 points short of our current leadoff man.

[maybenxtyr]

I'm glad for Mullins. They are a much better team when he's a part of the offense. Hopefully today was step one of getting the slump behind him.

[Malike]

5 hours ago, DirtyBird said:

If he raised his OPS 160 points to his .740 career number, that would still be almost 200 points short of our current leadoff man.

So what's the issue if he's getting on base in the 9-hole? Do you realize the potential there? Mullins or Mateo getting on base at the bottom of the order for Henderson is a really big deal. Pitchers are going to have to throw fastballs or get run all over. You'd rather he not produce just to say I told you so.

[DirtyBird]

5 hours ago, Malike said:

So what's the issue if he's getting on base in the 9-hole? Do you realize the potential there? Mullins or Mateo getting on base at the bottom of the order for Henderson is a really big deal. Pitchers are going to have to throw fastballs or get run all over. You'd rather he not produce just to say I told you so.

What does that have to do with having him back in the leadoff spot?

[Frobby]

I was happier yesterday seeing Mullins hit two line drive singles up the middle than I would have been if he’d hit two short-porch pop fly homers.   Those are the types of swings he needs to have to get back to being the .260+ BA hitter he’s capable of being.  The homers will come, but we need him on base way more often, and doing productive things when men are on base.   

I’m not declaring the slump is over, but I see a ray of hope that it is.  To be continued…
 

[LGOrioles]

His IFFB% is almost 27% in May, his soft contact rate is 25%, his LD% is 7.4%, and his K% is over 33%. He hasn’t even been unlucky either - his xwOBA is actually lower than his actual wOBA. His xwOBA is 164th out of 164 qualified hitters this year. 

Santander’s numbers aren’t much better (141st out of 164 hitters), then Hays has obviously had a tough year, and Cowser has been struggling too. Santander will likely turn it around but since 7/1 of last year, Hays has a 72 wRC+ and Mullins is at 66. That’s 203rd and 209th out of 217 batters with more than 300 PA’s in that timeframe. Wonder how much longer they give him though? I would assume until at least the trade deadline but hard to see Elias not adding an OF by then if this persists, as there’s a clear need. Hays and Mullins haven’t been starting caliber players in about a year. 

Edited May 22 by LGOrioles

[Brooks The Great]

Time to pull the plug on both Mullins and Hays. We have options worth playing over them in Kjerstad (sliding Cowser to CF) and Stowers. 

[Dibbs31]

Base running blunder that pretty much ends the game. 

[LGOrioles]

Yeah he’s a complete liability right now. Didn’t make that catch the other night costing the team runs, that base running blunder, and the offense we all know about. Hopefully he’s not in the lineup again tomorrow because they’re better without him right now. 

[ledzepp8]

Just now, Dibbs31 said:

Base running blunder that pretty much ends the game. 

I have a hard time calling that a blunder. A mistake? Yes. I don't think anyone thought he had a chance at catching that and with the sun, Cedric probably couldn't even tell it didn't get down. Just a series where the Orioles couldn't catch a break. Bradish is dealing and the game gets suspended. Get out to a nice lead today and the game gets delayed again and Irvin can't get the job done (although he wasn't helped by the defense).

[Frobby]

Just now, ledzepp8 said:

I have a hard time calling that a blunder. A mistake? Yes. I don't think anyone thought he had a chance at catching that and with the sun, Cedric probably couldn't even tell it didn't get down. Just a series where the Orioles couldn't catch a break. Bradish is dealing and the game gets suspended. Get out to a nice lead today and the game gets delayed again and Irvin can't get the job done (although he wasn't helped by the defense).

Sorry, that’s a blunder.   You can’t get caught with your pants down like that.  

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, ledzepp8 said:

I have a hard time calling that a blunder. A mistake? Yes. I don't think anyone thought he had a chance at catching that and with the sun, Cedric probably couldn't even tell it didn't get down. Just a series where the Orioles couldn't catch a break. Bradish is dealing and the game gets suspended. Get out to a nice lead today and the game gets delayed again and Irvin can't get the job done (although he wasn't helped by the defense).

I was going to give him a break but, no, it’s a blunder.   If he goes 1/2 or 2/3 he gets back to 1B.   If the ball isn’t caught it’s 2nd and 3rd with no outs and the top of the order coming up.  It’s a blunder.

[Brooks The Great]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Sorry, that’s a blunder.   You can’t get caught with your pants down like that.  

Yep, that's an inexcusable, amateur mistake with the game on the line. 

It's not a good example for Hyde and Elias to be setting to let veterans make mistakes and also hit so poorly for so long, while guys like Kjerstad, Stowers, and Norby (and Westburg and Cowser last season) get no such opportunities to play regularly and make mistakes/struggle.