On Sunday, beat writer extraordinaire Marc Topkin took an interesting look at the dilemma facing Kevin Cash while filling out the Rays lineup card daily.
The gist of the issue is the Rays are so top heavy on offense, there’s no simple answer for how to craft an effective lineup. Do you hit Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero 1-2-3 and then hope for the best? And if Caminero hits third, who protects him at No. 4? In fact, who is the fourth-best hitter in this lineup?
Which brings us to the point of today’s newsletter.
For the past six weeks or so, the Rays have had a fourth hitter in the lineup who has produced at a pretty impressive clip. It’s not Ryan Vilade, although he’s been solid. It’s not Jonny DeLuca, although he’s added some punch since coming off the injured list. It’s not Chandler Simpson, either.
The correct answer is Cedric Mullins.
Yes, the same Cedric Mullins who is currently sporting a .207 batting average with a .332 slugging percentage.
His overall numbers are so low, you’re still inclined to believe that he’s a drag on the offense. But that’s not reality. The problem is Mullins was so gosh-awful for the first six weeks of the season, that it’s going to take months to get his stats back to a respectable level. And I’m as guilty as anyone for not recognizing what Mullins has done lately.
Here are the facts:
From opening day until May 12, Mullins hit .145 with two home runs and a putrid .421 OPS across 137 plate appearances.
And since then? He’s basically doubled his production in every way.
In his last 140 plate appearances, Mullins has hit .274 with six home runs and an .821 OPS.
Yes, he still has to live with the disappointment of the first quarter of the season. He does not get to erase that. But the truth is Mullins has been better than the Rays could have reasonably expected in the season’s second quarter.
He’s been an above average centerfielder, he’s on a pace for more than 25 stolen bases and, lately, he’s been hitting like he did in his prime in Baltimore.
“I think (my) timing is a lot better on fastballs,” Mullins said. “Getting the head (of the bat) out a little bit better, adjusting to the off-speed stuff. Pretty normal stuff in terms of being more consistent, staying diligent with my early work and continuing to move forward.”
In a way, this should not be a surprise. Mullins was similarly streaky last season. He hit .278 with a .515 slugging percentage in March, and then went two full months while hitting .169 with a .338 slugging percentage. Come July, he was back up to .290 with a .522 slugging percentage. And then he drowned in August and September.
Cash has been talking about Mullins’ turnaround for several weeks, but his words have mostly gone unnoticed because the Rays were in a funk and his season batting average was still around the Mendoza line.
But with the Rays on an extended home stand and currently sporting a five-game winning streak that has them back on the top of the American League East, Mullins had hits in all seven of the games he started and popped a pair of home runs.
Given his up-and-down nature in 2025, it’s fair to wonder whether he can sustain this level of offense throughout the season’s second half.
But, for now at least, there is no question about who is the fourth-best hitter in Tampa Bay’s lineup.
It’s Cedric Mullins.
