Cedric Mullins

Boyce Cedric Mullins

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 8", Weight 175 lb.
• School Louisburg College, Campbell University
• High School Brookwood High School (Snellville)
• Debut August 10, 2018

• Born October 1, 1994 in Greensboro, NC USA

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Biographical Information

Outfielder Cedric Mullins was a switch-hitter for his first three major league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, but had limited success after a brilliant major league debut on August 10, 2018, when he had three hits and a walk. The next player to debut by reaching base four times was Riley Greene, with the 2022 Detroit Tigers.

He decided to give up batting from the right side in 2021, and the change paid immediate dividends, as he had a great opening series against the Boston Red Sox. That was the start of a breakout season that saw him been named to the All-Star team for the first time. That season, he became the first player in Orioles history to have a 30-30 season. Earlier in franchise history, when they were the St. Louis Browns, Ken Williams had done so. He finished the season at .291 in 159 games, with 37 doubles, 30 homers, 91 runs scored and 30 stolen bases. His OPS+ was 137 and he won a Silver Slugger Award for the first time. In 2022, he batted .258 in 156 games, with 16 homers, 89 runs and 64 RBIs. His OPS+ fell to 106, but the team was much improved and his 34 stolen bases placed him second in the American League behind teammate Jorge Mateo, who had one more. The year before, he had also finished second, but with a wider gap behind Whit Merrifield, who had 40.

On May 12, 2023, he hit the 12th cycle in franchise history, accomplishing the feat in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It had been less than a year since the last one, as teammate Austin Hays had done so on June 22nd the year before. He was off to a good start, hitting .268 with an OPS+ of 134 through 38 games, with the Orioles holding second place in the very competitive AL East. He ended up at .233 in 116 games, with 15 homers and 74 RBIs, just maintaining his OPS+ above 100, at 101. He also saw his total of runs scored fall significantly, to 51, which was largely a function of no longer hitting at the top of the line-up. His stolen base total also fell, to 19, but in this case he was caught stealing only 3 times, so he was actually a more efficient base stealer than in the two previous years. The Orioles made it to the postseason after finishing with the best record in the AL, but were eliminated in three straight games by the Texas Rangers in the Division Series. Cedric went 0 for 12 in the three games.

With the Orioles producing young outfielders in bunches at that time, Mullins' stature on the team was at risk at the start of 2024, but he managed to keep his starting job and also increase his playing time over the previous season. It was another long-tenured member of the team who had been through its lean years, Austin Hays, who turned out to be the odd man out and who was traded during the season as youngsters like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad clamored for playing time. Cedric appeared in 147 games during the season, hitting .234 with 18 homers and 54 RBIs. He also scored 69 runs and took advantage of more advantageous rules for base stealers to have his best season in that department, being successful on 32 of 38 attempts, which placed him sixth in the AL. His OPS+ was 107. The Orioles made it back to the postseason, this time as a wild card, but once again suffered a quick exit, this time a two-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card Series. This time he was able to contribute with the bat, going 3 for 7 with a double and a homer, but it came in a losing cause.

He started off the 2025 season with a bang as he homered twice and drove in five runs on Opening Day, which took place against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on March 27th. The Orioles hit a total of six long balls that day in a 12-2 win, and he and Adley Rutschman became the third and fourth players in franchise history to homer twice in their team's first game of the season. However, the Orioles soon fell into a disappointing rut and were well out of contention by the time the trading deadline rolled in at the end of July. He was not having a great season, hitting .229 in 91 games, but with 15 homers and 49 RBIs, his OPS+ was still above average at 105. On July 31st, he was sent to the New York Mets in a trade for three prospects. He did not manage to turn things around with the Mets, as he hit just .182 in 42 games, with 2 homers and 10 RBIs, and the Mets missed the postseason. He became a free agent after the season and on December 3rd, it was announced that he had signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for $7 million. This was clearly a "buy-low" move for Tampa as Cedric's struggles with the Mets had depressed his value; however, he remained a very good defensive centerfielder with the potential to bounce back significantly with the bat.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (2021)
• AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2021)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2021)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2021)

Further Reading

• Anthony DiComo: "Mets get their center field help in trade for Cedric Mullins", mlb.com, July 31, 2025. [1]
• Brian Murphy and Adam Berry: "Outfielder Cedric Mullins agrees to 1-year deal with Rays", mlb.com, December 3, 2025. [2]
• Jake Rill: "Mullins makes splash with franchise's 12th cycle -- literally", mlb.com, May 12, 2023. [3]
• Joe Trezza: "Mullins' astounding run has O's speechless: Leadoff man gets hits in 9 straight ABs -- 1 shy of club mark -- in dazzling weekend display", mlb.com, June 6, 2021. [4]

Related Sites

• Cedric Mullins on mlb.com