Drafted in the 11th round (341st overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 (signed for $125,000).
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A 35th-round pick of the Rockies out of high school, Mullen barely pitched his first two seasons at UCLA before breaking out this spring. He began the year as a midweek starter who pitched in relief on weekends, but he worked his way into the weekend rotation during conference play and led the Bruins in wins (nine), strikeouts (87) and ERA among starters (3.19). Mullen’s fastball sits 88-92 mph as a starter and ranges from 92-96 mph as a reliever. His fastball isn’t exceptional, his mid-80s vertical slider is a dominant pitch he uses liberally. He can land it in the zone for called strikes or bury it for swings and misses. He also has a nascent cutter that shows promise and a low-80s changeup he’ll throw for strikes. Mullen is a good athlete, but his control is below-average. He pitches exclusively from the stretch and has some effort in his delivery, leading most evaluators to project him to relief.
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Draft Prospects
A 35th-round pick of the Rockies out of high school, Mullen barely pitched his first two seasons at UCLA before breaking out this spring. He began the year as a midweek starter who pitched in relief on weekends, but he worked his way into the weekend rotation during conference play and led the Bruins in wins (nine), strikeouts (87) and ERA among starters (3.19). Mullen’s fastball sits 88-92 mph as a starter and ranges from 92-96 mph as a reliever. His fastball isn’t exceptional, his mid-80s vertical slider is a dominant pitch he uses liberally. He can land it in the zone for called strikes or bury it for swings and misses. He also has a nascent cutter that shows promise and a low-80s changeup he’ll throw for strikes. Mullen is a good athlete, but his control is below-average. He pitches exclusively from the stretch and has some effort in his delivery, leading most evaluators to project him to relief.
Mullen was one of Southern California's biggest risers in the spring and had scouts scampering up the I-5 from Los Angeles to Bakersfield to get a look. After sitting 89-91 mph in the fall, Mullen began working 90-94 and touching 95 mph during the high school season to elevate himself into consideration for the top 10 rounds. Mullen is one of the most athletic pitchers in the class, with a twitchy athleticism more usually seen in position players. That twitchiness is both a gift and a curse because he hasn't yet harnessed it. Mullen's control is inconsistent and his secondary stuff needs work. His slurvy, 78-80 mph breaking ball lacks depth or finish and he rarely uses his undefended changeup. He'll throw scattered strikes at times, and at other times he'll lose the zone entirely. Mullen's upside is considerable with his arm strength and athleticism, but the shortcomings in his control and secondaries have teams wary of committing big dollars to him. Mullen is committed to UCLA and will be an expensive sign.
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