Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins impressed Mark DeRosa during the 2023 World Baseball Classic in March.
DeRosa, an MLB Network analyst, was the manager for Team USA in 2023. DeRosa played in the major leagues from 1998-2013, serving as a utility man for eight different teams. Mullins was part of a talented Team USA squad featuring Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Trea Turner, among others.
“First off, he’s way more talented than I thought he was before I showed up,” DeRosa said on Glenn Clark Radio June 30. “He’s got way more power than I thought he had. He runs the bags a lot hotter than I thought he did.”
Team USA went 5-2 in the tournament, falling 3-2 to Japan in the championship game. The U.S. entered the WBC with the second-best odds to win it all, according to Caesars Sportsbook, with only the Dominican Republic ahead.
Mullins went 2-for-10 in the tournament with three runs and a home run. Mullins is a career .261/.329/.433 batter with the Orioles, stealing 77 bases since the start of the 2021 season.
“He’s consistent,” DeRosa said. “He has consistent ABs, he’s a consistent human being walking in the door. He adds value in all facets. And that’s what you’re looking for in a ballplayer.”
Mullins began the 2023 campaign on a tear for Baltimore. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound center fielder was batting .263/.356/.479 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs through 54 games to start the season. He also had 13 stolen bases.
Mullins went down with a right groin strain in late May, holding him out for about a month. Mullins made his return on June 24 against the Mariners, going 0-for-4 with a walk and a run in a 6-4 victory. Mullins has batted .192/.279/.269 with five runs and six RBIs since returning.
Mullins is scheduled to become a free agent following the 2025 season as the Orioles grapple with whom to target for extensions. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are also candidates to receive extensions. Meanwhile, the organization possesses young outfield talent in Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. The Orioles also drafted outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. with the No. 17 pick in the 2023 draft.
“If you’re going to pay somebody to be an unbelievable employee and punch the clock and do the right thing every day, I mean, he pretty much is the definition of that,” DeRosa said. “He walked in the door every day ready to go, willing to do whatever it took to help us win.”
The Orioles entered the All-Star break 54-35 and in second place in the AL East behind Tampa Bay (58-35). They currently have the third-best record in MLB.
“There’s so much to love about the Orioles because they’re young but they’re super likable, and they’re super athletic,” DeRosa said. “When you see these guys, these Gunnars and [Jordan] Westburg and Kjerstad and Cowser … these are game-changing players for [the] organization.”
For more from DeRosa, listen to the full interview here:
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