Drafted in the 7th round (199th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1996.
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Mullen got a wakeup call after the 1999 season. He had been placed on the 40-man roster after winning 16 games in 1998, then was removed following a rocky Triple-A debut the following year. He also found out that he'd be moving from the rotation to the bullpen. Mullen definitely responded. Told to air it out while working shorter stints, he saw his previously nondescript fastball jump to a consistent 88-92 mph and touch 93-94. His slider and changeup gave him two other trustworthy pitches. He pitched well in 11 outings with the Royals, especially against lefthanders, whom he limited to a .143 average. He'll need to fare better against righthanders, who hit .350 with a .550 slugging percentage, but Kansas City thinks he can be more than a situational lefty. Mullen had shoulder irritation for most of the season and had minor surgery to correct it during the offseason. He should be ready to go by spring training.
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