Mets' Tyrone Taylor handles addition of centerfielder Cedric Mullins like a pro
Mets centerfielder Cedric Mullins runs on his single against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of an MLB game at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
After the Mets acquired Orioles centerfielder Cedric Mullins on Thursday, manager Carlos Mendoza said he planned to have conversations with the players whose roles may change because of the trade.
Tyrone Taylor, who has a team-high 76 starts in center this season, may be impacted the most.
Mullins made his first start for the Mets on Saturday at Citi Field against the Giants, playing centerfield and batting seventh.
Taylor, who entered Saturday with a .199/.255/.292 slash line, two homers and 18 RBIs in 97 games, was on the bench. So how did he react to the Mullins deal?
“I was excited for the team,” he told Newsday before Saturday’s game. “It’s a definite upgrade for us. I think it’ll be good.”
Taylor said his conversation with Mendoza was “pretty short,” noting that he has been in this situation before, and added that the manager “already knows that I’ll be all right.” He said Mendoza told him he will be “playing a little less and to be ready against lefties.”
“Nothing changes for me,” Taylor said. “I just get ready to play every day, and whenever my name is called, go out there and do my best.”
Mendoza said on Friday that the Mets will continue to use Taylor and Jeff McNeil in center. McNeil, who has 24 starts in center this season, also has started at second base, leftfield, rightfield and designated hitter.
During the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Giants on Friday night, Mendoza used all 11 of his non-catcher position players. Starling Marte, Mark Vientos and Taylor — all righthanded hitters — started against lefty Robbie Ray before being pinch hit for later in the game.
Against Giants righthander Kai-Wei Teng on Saturday, all three did not start as the switch-hitting Ronny Mauricio and two lefthanded hitters — Mullins and Brett Baty — earned the nod instead.
“They’re up for whatever we need as a team,” Mendoza said before Saturday’s game. “We’re getting to a time where they’re going to understand that I can only play nine guys. We got 13 really good position players. And even though your name is not in the lineup, you got to be ready to come up and pinch hit and get the biggest at-bat. And if I’m pinch hitting for you, that doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in you. It’s like, I like the matchup.
“I might be taking the bat away from you today, but tomorrow, you could be the one getting that at-bat. So it just goes to show you how deep we are with the roster, and I’m going to use every one of them.”
Taylor is having a rough year at the plate, but his defense has been superb. His seven assists entering Saturday were tied with Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela for the most among MLB centerfielders. According to FanGraphs, Taylor has recorded eight defensive runs saved and four outs above average.
“I’m definitely thankful that they’re good because my hitting numbers aren’t very good,” Taylor said of his defensive metrics. “So it definitely has been what’s kept me here, I think.”
Mullins, who entered Saturday with a .229/.304/.432 slash line, 15 home runs, 49 RBIs and 14 steals, spoke to Mendoza about expectations.
“It was a quick talk,” Mullins said. “I think the lineup is interchangeable in that regard. So yeah, I think he said he’s going to put me in the best position to be my best out there.”
Mullins had spent the entirety of his professional baseball career (eight major-league seasons) with the Orioles, the club that selected him in the 2015 draft. He called the past few days “a crash course” as he becomes accustomed to a new clubhouse.
“I think it’s just control the controllables,” Mullins said. “Certain things are out of my control, but come in with a good mindset every day is what I can control. How I present myself out in the field is also something I control, so just going to focus on that.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
