Three years ago, Cedric Mullins made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles. Fast forward to the 2021 season and our MLBbro is an MLB All-Star.
And what made things better is that Mullins made the start in centerfield during his first All-Star game as well. He went 0-2 , but he did score a run to help the AL win 5-2.
You couldn’t ask for anything better. He replaced LA Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who has been injured for the majority of the season.
Mullins has resurrected into one of the top players in the league this season and he has quickly become a fan favorite, not only in Baltimore but throughout the whole league.
His stats are far beyond impressive. This brother has been putting in work and it has definitely shown. He leads all outfielders in the American League in slugging percentage, extra-base hits, steals and FanGraphs version of Wins Above Replacement.
Mullins has hit 16 home runs already which is more than he hit in his first three seasons combined.
Through 88 games, he’s hitting .314 with a .541 slugging percentage. He also has 16 stolen bases and 35 RBI.
Mullins can do it all at the plate, from hitting for power to dropping a bunt down the first or third baseline.
He’s been a hitter that opposing pitchers have had problems with. Not only can he get it done at the plate, but he also can track the ball down with the best of them in the outfield.
The Orioles have certainly been impressed with Mullins’ performance this season.
— ThePlayersAlliance (@Player_Alliance) July 6, 2021
“He is very quickly becoming a face of the franchise kind of player for us,” Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias told The Baltimore Sun. “He’s been one of the best players in baseball in the first half. He’s possibly the best center fielder outside of Trout in the American League, and he’s possibly the best defensive center fielder in the American League. So, 26 years old, homegrown, it’s a very special thing.”
He has definitely noticed his hard work paying off for Mullins, and he knows he’s not done yet.
“It’s good to be able to reflect on those moments and know that I’ve grown and matured as a player,” Mullins said. “It’s just a matter of continuing to progress from here. It feels like I’ve hit a sort of peak, but I’m trying to see if I can continue to push that limit.”
At the start of the season, Mullins quickly made a name for himself. He started the season on an 11-game hitting streak.
Yes, that’s right, 11 straight games with a hit. He was on fire during that stretch and he was the talk of the league.
In his third game of the season, he had an amazing performance at the plate going 5-for-5 with three doubles and three runs scored.
He continued to swing a hot stick throughout April, finishing the month with a .337 batting average.
And Mullins did not slow down after that. He had an impressive June where he hit .380 with a .720 slugging percentage.
So you see why he was selected to the All-Star team this year and if he continues to play like he’s been playing, he will go home with some hardware at the end of the season.
Rachel Hill spits the FACTZ about the exploits of three-time Home Run Derby winner Ken Griffey Jr. as MLB All-Star festivities tipped-off in Denver, Colorado with the MLB Draft & Futures Game this Sunday.
Josh Hamilton’s 28 homers at the old Yankee Stadium was impressive. Vlad Guerrero vs. Joc Pederson is unforgettable. The “Toddfather” Frazier winning it all on a misty night in Cincinnatti as a representative of the Reds was special.
As the five MLBbros selected for the 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado prepare for the Midsummer Classic, Brandon Carr reflects on his most memorable All-Star moments.
He was one of the greatest baseball players of All-Time and was a key figure during the Civil Rights movement as well. Aaron, who holds the MLB record for All-Star selections with 25, famously broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in April 1974.
His 755 homers stood as the Major League record for 33 years before Barry Bonds became the leader of the club.
47 years ago today, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run & broke Babe Ruth's all-time record.
The All-Star Game was originally scheduled to be held in Atlanta, home of the Braves and the uniform Aaron donned when becoming the home run champion. But after voter suppression laws were passed in the state of Georgia, Major League Baseball decided to move the game to Denver, Colorado.
Even with the venue change, the initiative to honor the legacy of one of the all-time greats stays the same.
First, the cleats:
Nike along with Ken Griffey Jr. partnered to design the “Air Griffey Metal Hank” cleats. The cleat is exclusively given to each Nike athlete participating in the All-Star Game and honors Aaron’s legacy both on and off the field.
Different elements from each team Aaron played for are used in the design of the cleat:
The Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues red tongue and heel pull tags, the Milwaukee Braves crimson heel swoosh, the Atlanta Braves grey swoosh on the ankle-straps tabs, and mudguard pinstripes, and the Milwaukee Brewers blue and gold eye stay.
Aaron’s motto “Keep Swinging” is on the side of the cleat and his career stats are inside the shoe. His “44” also replaces the normal Griffey “24”.
The sock liner features a “44” bottle cap, which refers to Aaron’s childhood penchant to practice his swing using found objects.
These new Nike Air Griffey Metal pay homage to the legendary Hank Aaron for the MLB All-Star Game. ⚾️? pic.twitter.com/tvnoAl3Eyo
Nike is also pledging $104,000 to the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation’s “4 for 4” programs, providing at least $4,000 per year for four years to students attending historically Black colleges and universities.
Aaron was famously quoted saying “I see these young kids coming along now and they are chasing their dreams. It just so happens that their dreams cost a little bit more than mine did. I am hoping they catch it and they can do the things they want to do in life.”
The Jerseys:
This season, MLB is doing something a little different with the All-Star jerseys. Instead of players wearing their team’s home and away uniforms, Nike has designed a uniform that will commemorate one of baseball’s highest honors – an All-Star selection.
Players will have stars on the back of their jerseys for each time they have appeared at the game. It will also feature their team logo and a patch that pays respect to the host Colorado Rockies. The National League is considered the home team and will be wearing white while the American League will wear blue.
These uniforms will be worn on Tuesday, July 13 during the game, but Monday Night Baseball will honor Hank Aaron in what is a highly-anticipated Home Run Derby.
The MLB All-Star Game will finally return next week after a one–year hiatus.
As anticipation builds for the first MLB All-Star since COVID flipped the sports world upside down, I thought it would be a good idea to kick the week off with a few dope All-Star moments from some legendary MLBbros.
The Last Black All-Star MVP
Before Vladdy Jr. captured the hearts of Americans (and Canadians), there was another former clubhouse kid who set the baseball world on fire.
Prince Fielder, son of slugger Cecil Fielder, stepped onto Chase Field in Arizona for his third All-Star appearance (and first of three straight).
Fielder made sure his presence was felt, going 1-for-2 with a three-run bomb in the fourth inning that put the National League up for good.
The young slugger finished the season batting .299 with 38 bombs, 120 RBI and 107 walks. He would go on to make the All-Star team three more times before his retirement.
Torii Robs Barry
In one of the most iconic moments in recent All-Star Game history, Home Run King Barry Bonds stepped into the box at Miller Park looking to put the National League up early.
Unfortunately for Bonds, nine-time Gold Glove winner and fellow MLBbro Torii Hunter was manning center field .
As Bonds unloaded on the 1-1 pitch from Derek Lowe, Hunter made a beeline for the right-center field fence. Breaking his dead sprint, Torii begins to time his jump perfectly before leaping to rob Bonds.
The play turned out to be the deciding factor in the game, as the game ended in a 7-7 tie.
I’m sure you’ve seen the clip 1000 times, but you can’t speak about All-Star weekend without talking about Junior.
The 13-time All-Star has given us countless memories over the years, but arguably his most iconic came in Camden Yards.
During the 1993 Home Run Derby, Ken Griffey Jr. came into his fourth straight All-Star appearance on the verge of his first 40-homer season and the beginning of his Seattle prime.
But it was the Derby where Griffey made his mark. With his trademark backwards hat and million–dollar swing, he crushed a baseball out of Camden and off of the warehouse next door. Just look at that swing, truly a work of art.
Back-to-Back-to-Back Black Champs
MLB history is full of Black sluggers, and the Home Run Derby has been the perfect place to display the pop.
But from 1994 to 1996, the MLBbros exclusively held down the Derby crown. As a matter of fact, two of those three seasons, the final round was on full display with Black power.
In 1994 we saw Griffey Jr. defeat Atlanta Braves legend Fred McGriff at Three Rivers Stadium (thank God the cookie–cutter stadium era ended.)
In 1995, the Black power surge continued, with Frank Thomas defeating his future teammate, then Cleveland Indians Albert Belle.
We saw the third straight Black champ in 1996 when Bonds defeated Mark McGwire.
We haven’t gotten a full All-Star Weekend since 2019.
So with all eyes on the baseball world, let’s hope our MLBbros can add to these moments.
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