Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Shares Secret Behind Hot Start
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins has hit the ground running this year.
A lot of Baltimore Orioles players took a step forward in 2023, helping the team win 101 games -- 18 more than the year before. However, Cedric Mullins wasn't one of them.
Mullins struggled at the plate, finishing with his lowest batting average (.233) and on-base percentage (.305) since becoming a full-time player in 2020. His home runs (15) and stolen bases (19) were down as well, suggesting that his All-Star campaign in 2021 may have been a fluke.
The Orioles are off to a hot start in 2024, and this time Mullins is leading the way. Entering play on Tuesday, he was batting a more robust .257/.308/.500 with five home runs and five steals, putting him on pace for a second 30/30 season.
Mullins joined the MLB Tonight crew before Tuesday night's road game against the Los Angeles Angels to discuss his hot start as well as his incredible catch against the Minnesota Twins last week.
Regarding the catch, Mullins doesn't even consider it the best of his career. He called it "a close second" behind one he made against the Seattle Mariners.
As for Mullins' bat, he said his main focus goal offseason was "trying to create barrel efficiency" after pulling the ball and popping up too much last year. He focused on hitting the ball to all fields and making harder contact, which appears to be paying off.
As a veteran player on a young team, Mullins is critical to Baltimore's success, especially with his ability to impact the game at the plate, in the field and on the bases.
