Aug 28, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets outfielder Cedric Mullins (28) reacts after hitting a line drive for an out against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Mets manager gets blunt about Cedric Mullins' struggles

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 5:00 PM ET

There was a lot of excitement among the New York Mets franchise when they traded for former Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins before this year's MLB trade deadline.

The Mets had some of the MLB's worst offensive production in center field this season, which made it obvious that they were going to address this via trade. And while Mullins wasn't having a stellar season in Baltimore, his consistency and baserunning aptitude made him a great fit for New York on paper.

However, Mullins has been anything but a great fit to this point. After posting a .229 average and a .738 OPS with the Orioles this year, he is hitting .179 with a brutal .568 OPS in 29 games with the Mets. He's also 0 for 21 at the plate in his last eight games.

While Mullins has remained a solid defensive presence, there's no question that New York's front office was expecting a lot more from him when making this trade a little over a month ago.

Carlos Mendoza Sends Clear Message About Cedric Mullins' Offensive Woes

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke with the media before his team's 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on September 7. And at one point, he didn't mince words about what he has seen from Mullins at the plate of late.

“I think [Mullins is] missing fastballs. Late at times. Fouling them off. Not being able to square them up. Controls the strike zone, but I think he’s missing a lot of good pitches to hit," Mendoza said, per a September 8 article from Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post

This sounds very similar to what Mendoza said about Mullins back on August 9, when he added, "I feel like he's missing some good fastballs to hit. We know he's a good hitter. We've just got to get him back on track. Especially against fastballs, you know? But he's a good player. First few games since we got him, I feel like [he's] just a little off with the timing,"

Carlos Mendoza on Cedric Mullins:

"I feel like he's missing some good fastballs to hit, we know he's a good hitter. We've just got to get him back on track" pic.twitter.com/10IDXjo83r
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2025

There's still plenty of time for Mullins to turn things around and become a key part of the Mets' success down the stretch.

However, while there was once some optimism that Mullins (who is an unrestricted free agent after this season) could be New York's long-term solution in center field, fans aren't seeing him in the same light right now, given his rocky start at Citi Field.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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