Orioles’ Cedric Mullins hits Eutaw Street home run as he shows signs of turnaround

The side of Cedric Mullins the Orioles trusted was still there has started to reveal itself.

Mullins got off to an abysmal start to the 2024 season. The 2021 Silver Slugger Award winner bottomed out with a .170 batting average 63 games into the season, losing his everyday spot in the Orioles’ lineup and settling for a bench role with occasional starts. It was the deepest into any season of his career that Mullins had ever sported a batting average below .200.

The Orioles’ coaching staff stood by their 29-year-old center fielder, insisting that he was still capable of being the player who averaged about 20 home runs and 28 stolen bases a year over the past three seasons. He’s looked the part over the past three weeks, slashing .358/.382/.623 with two home runs, four doubles, two triples and four stolen bases in 16 games since June 9.

Mullins provided the biggest highlight of that stretch Wednesday, launching the game-winning home run in the seventh inning of the Orioles’ 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians onto Eutaw Street to help end a five-game losing streak.

Ceddy’s turn! pic.twitter.com/pUEcgKKgAT

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 27, 2024

“Nice to see Ced really contributing,” manager Brandon Hyde said, “swinging the bat much better these last couple weeks.”

It was the second time in Mullins’ career he hit the pavement with a home run at Camden Yards. He’s the third Orioles hitter with a Eutaw Street homer this season, joining Anthony Santander and Gunnar Henderson. New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto also hit one in April.

“Just pitch recognition, making sure I’m swinging at good pitches for one,” Mullins said of the biggest adjustments he’s made over this stretch. “Making sure my body is in a strong position to do damage and I think that’s what was missing from me for a little bit. So, yeah, just keying in on that and good things have happened.”

The Orioles are already baseball’s highest-scoring offense, but a healthy, contributing Mullins adds a dimension to their lineup few other players on the roster are capable of creating. Despite his struggles and inconsistent playing time, Mullins still leads the Orioles with 16 stolen bases. It wasn’t that long ago that he was their everyday leadoff hitter, and the Orioles have yet to settle on any one player in his place rotating between Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman in that spot.

Last season, Mullins started 46 games at leadoff, posting a .335 on-base percentage with 12 stolen bases. The year before, all but three of his starts came at the No. 1 spot in the lineup.

While the Orioles have yet to test him there this season, they still have 82 games left to see if Mullins can continue his turnaround. Should he put his April and May struggles firmly behind him, Mullins has plenty of time to earn his playing time — and spot in the batting order— back again.