masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAs the Orioles proceeded through the second day of the draft, selecting a fourth outfielder among their first five picks, they also learned that their current center fielder has entered the starting lineup for the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Denver.
Cedric Mullins has been chosen to replace the Angels’ Mike Trout, who’s on the 60-day injured list. Mullins is batting ninth, the opposite end from his usual spot with the Orioles.
As the lone Orioles representative,…

As the Orioles proceeded through the second day of the draft, selecting a fourth outfielder among their first five picks, they also learned that their current center fielder has entered the starting lineup for the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Denver.

Cedric Mullins has been chosen to replace the Angels’ Mike Trout, who’s on the 60-day injured list. Mullins is batting ninth, the opposite end from his usual spot with the Orioles.

As the lone Orioles representative, Mullins enters the break batting .314/.380/.541 with 23 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 35 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He has a 3.7 WAR per Baseball-Reference.com.

Mullins-Catch-Gray-No-Hitter-Sidebar.jpgMullins leads the league’s outfielders in hits (106) and slugging, is tied with Michael Brantley for first in doubles, is tied with Leury García and Max Kepler for second in triples, and is second in average and on-base percentage.

Mullins received the most player votes among outfielders after finishing sixth in the fan balloting with 10 percent, which initially led to his reserve status.

Trey Mancini is the sixth seed in tonight’s Home Run Derby and opposes the Athletics Matt Olson in the first round.

Here are the All-Star lineups:

For the American League
Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Aaron Judge, RF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Marcus Semien, 2B
Salvador Pérez, C
Teoscar Hernández, LF
Cedric Mullins, CF

For the National League
Fernando Tatis Jr., SS
Max Muncy, DH
Nolan Arenado, 3B
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Nick Castellanos, RF
Jesse Winker, LF
JT Realmuto, C
Bryan Reynolds, CF
Adam Frazier, 2B

Max Scherzer, RHP

As for the draft, the Orioles used their second-round pick on East Carolina second baseman Connor Norby, their Competitive Balance B Round pick on Southern Mississippi switch-hitting outfielder Reed Trimble, their third-rounder on Kentucky outfielder John Rhodes and their fourth-rounder on Arizona outfielder Donta’ Williams.

That’s quite a run on college position players, beginning last night with Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser.

Norby led the nation with 102 hits and batted .415/.484/.659 with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. He’s a career .392/.458/.596 hitter at East Carolina.

Trimble batted .345/.414/.638 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs.

Rhodes posted a .251 average and .905 OPS with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. He led Kentucky in runs (47), doubles (15), walks (28) and hit by pitches (18) and led the nation with eight outfield assists and didn’t commit an error.

Williams slashed .342/.481/.538 this year and .302/.443/.455 in four seasons with Arizona.