TORONTO -- Cedric Mullins has certainly been entertaining in his first few games with the Orioles, batting .387 in nine games, but his Players' Weekend nickname "The Entertainer" comes from comedian Cedric the Entertainer.
"Just simply because [of] Cedric the Entertainer," Mullins said. "Growing up I was given that nickname pretty early, and just people enjoy watching me play and kind of my style and how I go about things, it kind of just came naturally."
Known for playing Cedric Jackie Robinson on the sitcom The Steve Harvey Show and Reverend Boyce Ballentine in The Soul Man, Cedric the Entertainer has been in numerous movies including Johnson Family Vacation, Madagascar and Ice Age.
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"He's hilarious," Mullins said. "I remember watching him on The Steve Harvey Show and all that stuff, it was awesome."
Mullins says the most entertaining part of his game is his speed.
"The speed on defense, tracking balls down [and] running on the basepaths," Mullins said.
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The Orioles' ninth-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, grades as an above-average runner. He's stolen 21 bases in 108 Minor League games this season.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter has been impressed with the 23-year-old's poise in his first few games.
"The game has kind of slowed down a little bit for him," Showalter said. "Sometimes it makes the opposition a little uncomfortable when young players don't have those emotional at-bats.
He hit .288 with a .346 OBP in 108 Minor League games this season split between Double-A and Triple-A.
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"The biggest thing is that Cedric is going to attack the things that he may not be good at," Showalter said. "That's one of the challenges I gave him when he left camp this year. ... It's very easy to come out here and work on your strengths every day, but [it's better] when you have the wisdom and maturity to work on your weaknesses."
The hot start probably isn't sustainable, but it's been entertaining to watch Mullins roam the Orioles' outfield for a few games.
"I don't think anybody expects him to hit what he's hitting now," Showalter said. "But I'm not going to tell him that."