Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Has Been Surging Down the Stretch

Which player on the Baltimore Orioles has been surging down the stretch?

Sep 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

After dropping another series, this time to the Detroit Tigers, there has to be a lot of concern for the Baltimore Orioles right now. 

For the last few months now, the Orioles haven’t been playing good baseball. Their talented lineup has underperformed for the most part and their pitching staff has been unable to overcome injuries. 

Currently, it feels like the New York Yankees are going to win the American League East, as even though they aren’t playing great, they have still performed better than Baltimore down the stretch. 

While it is easy to understand why the pitching staff hasn’t been as good in the second half of the season, it is shocking to see the struggles that the offense has had as a whole. Currently, the offense has been led by Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander for most of the season, as players like Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday have struggled. 

Even though it has been a struggle for the offense down the stretch, one player who has been doing well has been outfielder Cedric Mullins. Recently, Brian Murphy of MLB.com spoke about Mullins surging down the stretch despite the rest of his team falling flat. 

"The Orioles' vaunted offense has hit a bit of a lull. Baltimore has hit .203 and averaged 3.8 runs per game while losing 14 of its past 25 contests. It was nearly no-hit on Friday. However, Mullins has been a bright spot through this bleak stretch, posting a .390 on-base percentage and an .858 OPS. He has hammered four home runs in 11 games this month, including a two-dinger night against the Red Sox on Tuesday."

After a terrible August in which he hit at the Mendoza line, Mullins has been playing much better in the month of September. The talented outfielder has totaled a .318 batting average, four home runs and 10 RBIs. 

The four homeruns for the lefty are already equal to the total that he hit in July and August, and he has already totaled more hits in September than in August. 

As Baltimore heads into the final couple of weeks of the season, they need players like Mullins to continue to perform well and hope that their other stars pick it up. This lineup is far too talented to be struggling like they have been, and a breakout has to come soon. 

However, with the playoffs getting close, that breakout has to come soon or the Orioles’ season will come to an end soon.