Drafted in the 11th round (318th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2003.
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Dissatisfied with being selected in the 19th round by the Cardinals a year ago, OF Ryan Mulhern returned to South Alabama for his senior season and set the Jaguars career home run record. Counting his 2000 season at Trinidad State (Colo.), when he led national juco players with 28 homers and 108 RBIs, Mulhern has hit 73 homers as a collegian. He stays inside pitches and is naturally strong, so he should hit for power with wood. His arm is below average, but he's a capable left fielder.
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Cleveland's 2005 Lou Boudreau Award winner as its minor league player of the year, Mulhern established his bona fides as a power hitter long ago. He led national juco hitters with 28 homers at Trinidad State (Colo.) CC in 2000, then set a South Alabama career mark with 43 longballs in three seasons. He hit just 12 homers in his first 162 pro games before exploding for 32 in 2005. He made some adjustments to his swing last year--he's not nearly as long or pull-happy as he was in college--and they paid off. He's now more focused on hitting to the middle of the field and driving balls. He made adjustments to get his hands inside pitches better, generating more backspin and carry. Mulhern has decent strike-zone discipline. His only setback last year came when he was hit in the face with a pitch in May, causing him to miss four weeks. There's some concern on pitchers tying him up on inside fastballs, but like Kevin Kouzmanoff, Mulhern is obsessive about breaking down film of his swing. Drafted as an outfielder, he's far from a finished product at first base, though he has improved there. He took advantage of Michael Aubrey being out of the Akron lineup in 2005, and Mulhern could win the first-base job in Triple-A this spring.
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