Cedric Mullins

Cedric Mullins II, better known as Boyce Cedric Mullins, was born on the 1st of October 1994. He is a renowned professional baseball player from the United States. He currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles as a center fielder, a position he’s held in the Major League Baseball (MLB) since his debut in 2018. In an illustrious career, Mullins was an All-Star and also won the 2021 Silver Slugger Award, further demonstrating his exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.

Before ascending to the MLB, Mullins began his baseball journey in Georgia. He attended Brookwood High School, Snellville, honing his skills on the school’s baseball team. Post high-school, Mullins chose to attend Louisburg College, where he played college baseball for two years. An outstanding student, he managed to maintain a flawless 4.0-grade point average, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors and an Associate of Arts in 2014.

In 2015, Mullins transferred to Campbell University. He distinguished himself in that year, leading the Fighting Camels in batting average (.340), runs scored (59), base hits (80), doubles (23), and triples (7). The budding talent also played in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) for the Utica Blue Sox. After showcasing his ability on the field, he caught the attention of Major League scouts, leading to his selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round in the 2015 draft.

His professional career began in earnest with the Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds, spending the entire 2015 season there. He posted a respectable .264 batting average with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 68 individual games. The subsequent years saw him progressing through the ranks, playing for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds in 2016, and the Double-A Bowie Baysox in 2017, consistently putting up good performances. In 2018, he began with Bowie and earned promotion to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.

His opportunity to play in the major leagues came on August 10, 2018, when the Orioles promoted him. With three hits, two RBI, a walk, and three runs, he made an extraordinary debut despite the team’s 19-12 loss to the Boston Red Sox. His performance made history, making him the first Oriole in franchise history to collect three hits in a Major League debut and joining a list of five players in MLB history to score three or more runs and collect two or more extra-base hits in their debut.

Despite a challenging 2019 season, Mullins remained resilient and regained his form in 2020. In that season, he managed a solid batting performance, hitting .271/.315/.407 with 3 home runs, 12 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. However, it was also revealed that he had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and had to have a portion of his intestine removed after battling chronic abdominal pain throughout the campaign.

In 2021, Mullins decided to become a full-time left-handed hitter, a move initially met with resistance from the team’s management but led to successful results on the field. On September 24, he became the first Orioles player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season since the franchise’s relocation from St. Louis. That year, he also won the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award and came in ninth in the American League MVP balloting.

The 2022 season saw Mullins hitting his first career grand slam, finishing the season with a .258/.318/.403 batting average, 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases. In early 2023, Mullins secured a one-year, $4.1 million contract with the Orioles, thus avoiding salary arbitration.

Mullins continued his remarkable journey in the 2023 season, hitting for the cycle in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which saw the Orioles emerge victorious. Later in the season, he achieved several memorable feats, including robbing a potential game-tying homer in a game against the Seattle Mariners, and hitting a decisive three-run homer in a game against the Houston Astros.

Off the field, Mullins plans to represent the United States at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. His interests extend beyond baseball, with a particular fascination with anime, citing Naruto as a childhood influence on his life and professional career. His unwavering spirit and dedication are testaments to his illustrious career and earned him a permanent place in the annals of professional baseball.