Cedric Mullins DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins was productive out of the leadoff spot on Thursday despite an 8-4 loss to the division-rival Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards, as he went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI, a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout. Mullins' third home run of the year came in the first inning to lead off the bottom half of the inning against right-hander Tanner Houck in which he just hooked it inside the right-field foul pole on a screaming liner on a changeup. It's been a fast start for the 30-year-old outfielder, as he now has eight hits in his first 26 at-bats with 11 RBI and two stolen bases in seven games played. While Thursday's series finale against Boston was his first time batting leadoff for Baltimore, it's unlikely he'll remain there regularly moving forward with All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson (intercostal) set to make his season debut on Friday in Kansas City.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins came ready to play during Thursday's season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Mullins had an ugly spring with only a .136 batting average, but this performance shows that those camp numbers might not matter too much. Mullins went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI during Thursday's blowout win. The left-handed slugger is looking to bounce back at the plate after slashing .234/.305/.405 with 18 homers and 54 RBI last season. After Thursday's game, Mullins is likely to become a popular waiver wire addition.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in Wednesday's 9-7 win over the Yankees, preventing New York from being crowned division champs for a little while longer. Mullins had a dismal first half, slashing .214/.256/.373 with 16 steals and a wRC+ of 77 through the season's first 85 games, but has slashed .258/.370/.460 with 16 steals and a 142 wRC+ in the 54 games since. The 29-year-old owns a .230-18-54-66-32 line on the season and fantasy managers hoping for a championship will hope he stays hot for a couple more games.