Starting from the bottom fuels the hustle for O’s Cedric Mullins.
Besides an inside-the-park home run, a triple is the most exciting play in the game today. The mere hustle, endurance, and strength to perform such an act is something only guys with that IT factor have. And guys like that deserve a nickname. So MLBbro.com introduces CM Storm.
Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde told MLB.com, “They should put this on an educational film for all young players about how to get out of the box.” He added, “Ball hit, eyes up and incredible hustle. He got to third base so fast. It was a great heads-up play, and we needed it.”
From infancy to the majors, coaches always ask their players to stretch out that single into a double. The display of enthusiasm by Orioles’ center fielder Cedric Mullins after legging one out for the team showed his love for the game.
Success is a function of realistic expectations, but no one expected him to be the human torch at the plate. After Tuesday’s matchup vs. the New York Mets, Mullins, in only 36 games, is averaging .308 at the dish with 44 hits on the season.
Mullins was a highly-touted prospect in the Orioles’ farm system after earning the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year before eventually achieving his climb to the show during Week 1 of the 2019 season.
Being a consummate pro can grow tiresome at times, but like the G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan once said, “I can accept failure as everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Trying He Did
Mullins traveled down a wormhole after early-season struggles got him demoted back to Triple-A before he ultimately spent the remainder of the 2019 season in Double-A.
“I’ve never had that much failure,” said Mullins. “It was humbling going back to square one and, you know, just being able to see what created success for the future.”
The pursuit of happiness continued as his constant grind ultimately got him called back up during the 2020 pandemic shortened season. He accounted for 16 runs and 10 extra bases to average .271 on the year.
His continued success came as he narrowed his focus on one side of the plate. While in the minors, Mullins was a destroyer of the cowhide as a switch hitter, but the numbers indicated that he would have a better chance of longevity if he eliminated one side of the plate by batting southpaw which he agreed is ultimately his best side.
“It was getting difficult trying to navigate two different swings,” said Mullins. “I tried to do the best I can to see if it could develop, but it just didn’t work out that way, so I feel like going left on the left was the best decision.”
With the change through the first 29 games of the season, April statistics indicated that Mullins led Major League Baseball in home runs and hits. His bat and mental focus are impenetrable as pitchers aren’t able to cool him off.
Look for the young phenom to stay hot as the O’s host the high-powered New York Yankees this weekend in a three-game homestand. Friday’s first pitch is at 7:05 p.m. EDT.