Ryan Mullins
| IP | 770 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.371 |
| WHIP | 1.438 |
| BB/9 | 2.805 |
| SO/9 | 7.235 |
- Full name Ryan Michael Mullins
- Born 11/13/1983 in Nashville, TN
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Vanderbilt
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Drafted in the 3rd round (105th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2005 (signed for $350,000).
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Mullins emerged as a prospect as a freshman, flashing a big curveball to earn No. 1 prospect status in the New England Collegiate League in 2003. He also dominated in the Cape Cod League last summer, and his resume against wood bats will come in handy because he had a less-than-stellar spring. He pitched behind Jeremy Sowers--the No. 6 pick in 2004--for two seasons in the Commodores rotation, but stumbled as a junior trying to replace Sowers as the staff ace. By the time Southeastern Conference play came around, righthander Jensen Lewis had overtaken Mullins as the Friday starter, due in part to Mullins' six-game suspension for a DWI arrest. Mullins' stuff has been a bit off all year. Typically he pitches with an 87-91 mph fastball and hard curveball in the low to mid-70s, but this year he's been in the upper 80s with a slower, though still 12-to-6, curveball. Even when it's not on, the curveball is an average pitch because he locates it and can change its shape, throwing a shorter, quicker version of the big bender at times. He has not filled out physically as scouts had hoped, though he remains deft at using his height to get a good downward angle on his fastball. Mullins' arrest this spring won't keep a team that liked him the last two summers from taking him high.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Mullins' profile has risen to its highest point since he was a teammate of current Indians big leaguers Jensen Lewis and Jeremy Sowers at Vanderbilt. All three were in the same rotation in 2004, and Mullins was supposed to be the ace and a possible first-rounder in '05. A drunken-driving arrest and six-game suspension, followed by a subpar season, dropped him to the third round. Mullins has had a solid pro career since then, reaching Triple-A at the end of 2007 and finishing with a solid Arizona Fall League stint. He's a four-pitch lefty with a long, lanky frame and somewhat deceptive arms-and-legs delivery. Mullins' fastball sits in the upper 80s and touches 91. His big, slow curve was his go-to pitch in college, and he's added power to it and learned to throw it for strikes more as he has matured. He has added a slider to help him get inside on righthanders and also owns an effective changeup. Mullins hasn't added velocity as scouts hoped he might, but he knows his limits and executes well. He's ready for another shot at Triple-A, where he was hammered late last year, and profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Twins promoted three top arms--Matt Garza, Kevin Slowey and Eduardo Morlan--from the Elizabethton rotation by midseason, transferring the responsibility of staff ace to Mullins. He proved up to the challenge, throwing three pitches for strikes, keeping hitters off stride and generating lots of groundballs. Mullins whiffed 13 Danville Braves in the Appalachian League playoff opener, but he generally relied on location and changing speeds more than overpowering stuff. The lanky lefthander delivers his pitches--an 84-88 mph fastball on a tough downward plane, a good curveball and an effective changeup--with a deceptive motion. Mullins is working on a slider to give him a fourth pitch.
