Mets’ Cedric Mullins Sits Out Against Left-Handers
Cedric Mullins didn’t make the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers on Tuesday. Manager Carlos Mendoza clarified that it wasn’t anything serious.
Mullins, who joined the team from Baltimore around the trade deadline, has been an interesting addition. He’s had a solid season, hitting .291 with an .847 OPS as of Tuesday.
On that day, however, with Guardians’ southpaw Logan Allen taking the mound, Tyrone Taylor got the nod in center field for a close 3-2 loss.
Interestingly, Taylor’s performance this season against left-handed pitchers hasn’t been great. He’s been struggling, registering just a .167 average and a .444 OPS in those matchups on Tuesday.
Yet, Mendoza’s inclusion of Taylor for this game doesn’t indicate a permanent shift in their center field strategy.
“Cedric will be playing against the left-handed,” Mendoza mentioned before the game at Citifield. “I saw what we had today and felt it was a good day for TT.”
After not playing in his first game in Queens, Mullins did step in for three consecutive days at center field, holding a 1-1 record early on.
The Mets were drawn to Mullins partly for his ability to hit left-handed pitchers, especially since the team had been struggling with a .658 OPS in those encounters.
Historically, Mullins has had more success against right-handers. Yet, this season, things seem a bit different.
“He’s been pretty effective against left-handers,” Mendoza noted. “Given Allen’s style, I thought today was a good matchup for TT, especially considering the division competition.”
Mendoza also made some changes to the lineup, seeing left-handed player Starling Marte and moving Brandonnimo into the fifth spot, aiming for a different approach that day.
“I just wanted to provide them with a different look,” Mendoza explained. “Trying to get Marte additional at-bats against the starter, if I could, before they shift to the bullpen.”
In a related note, after a successful steal by Juan Soto in the first inning, the Mets have now stolen 32 consecutive bases, marking the longest active streak in the majors. They currently lead the MLB with an impressive 90% success rate in stolen bases.
