While questions revolving the pitching staff have dominated Baltimore Orioles dialogue most of the offseason, a new topic I’m starting to see more and more of is what to expect from Cedric Mullins in 2025, with arguments ranging anywhere from having him lead off, having him at the bottom of the order and even some going as far as wanting to move off of him entirely.
So, it’s safe to say the center fielder has become quite the polarizing figure.
I’ll get this one out of the way quickly. I am a big Cedric Mullins fan. I think he’s a winning baseball player, and I’m probably a little biased, but he has always been volatile at the plate, so objectively speaking, I see where all sides of the argument stem from.
Here are the facts. In 2024, Mullins played in 147 games, posting a 2.3 fWAR and 105 wRC+, with 18 long balls. These aren’t out-of-this-world numbers by any means, but a slightly above average bat with sneaky power, electrifying speed and elite defense would have a job on just about any of the 30 professional baseball teams.
We’ve even seen higher highs from Ceddy. I’m willing to bet every Orioles fan remembers 2021 Cedric Mullins, when he was one of the better players in all of baseball. Mullins wound up with a .878 OPS, 136 wRC+, 6.0 fWAR and 30 homers, and that career-year was good enough for ninth in AL MVP voting. Unfortunately, Mullins hasn’t come close to this success since.
Like I said, he’s found a way to stay productive throughout his career, but his fWAR from 2022-2024 sits at 7.8, barely edging out the 6.0 fWAR he posted in 2021. His savant data also isn’t the best because he doesn’t hit the ball very hard, as shown by his 16th percentile hard hit percentage, 20th percentile barrel percentage, and 16th percentile average exit velocity.
Any Orioles fan whom regularly watches the team should also be well aware of the lulls he sometimes gets into, with very noncompetitive at-bats often leading to pop ups.
At this point in his career, Mullins is also almost strictly a platoon player. He only took 97 at-bats against lefties in 2024, but in those, he struggled mightily with an on-base percentage of 228 and a wRC+ of 43 (league average is 100).
Against right-handed pitching, Mullins was obviously much better, posting a .325 OBP and a 121 wRC+. So, while Mullins has remained a plus starter his entire career, his ineptitude against lefties has to be factored into his future.
With all that being said, my opinion on the Mullins saga is that the O’s should stand pat with him for now. With Ceddy being set to hit free agency in 2026, I can’t imagine his trade value is very high, unless he is part of a package for a high-level starter, which I would think is unlikely.
I think it’s in the Orioles’ best interest to bat him seventh against righties and either ninth or not at all against lefties. Colton Cowser is more than capable of playing center field, and just about all of us at The Baltimore Battery are high on Enrique Bradfield Jr., who I think will eventually take over the reigns in center.
The future for Mullins does seem a little murky, but that doesn’t diminish the career we’ve got to see play out. His 2021 season will always be special, and even outside of that year, he’s been nothing but a positive player for the Birds, who I think will continue to find success wherever he ends up.
However, I would almost guarantee Mullins still has a sizable role with the 2025 team, so let’s make sure Birdland appreciates every bit of it.
What are your thoughts on Cedric Mullins and his role with the team? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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