If I needed to decide my favourite cliche assertion in sports activities media, it’d be that father time is undefeated. Time and time once more we see the decline of a as soon as seemingly unstoppable athlete, because the miles begin to pile on and they’re merely not the identical as they as soon as have been. Regardless of all that, 37-year outdated Andrew McCutchen continues to show his value to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and why he is likely to be some of the underrated stars of his technology.
I need to get the apparent out of the way in which first, McCutchen is the best Pirate of the twenty first century. When the groups of the late 80’s and early 90’s have been disbanded, town of Pittsburgh was determined for a brand new baseball star. The departures of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Leyland, and others left the group with out an id leading to a document 20-season streak the place they posted a dropping document.
I’m not going to behave like he did it by himself, however McCutchen was largely accountable for bringing Pirates baseball again to the forefront, and “Buctober” was a really actual factor in his first stint with the crew. There’s much more proof of this as when he was traded, the group went into one other unprecedented streak of mediocrity. A number of 100-loss seasons ceased when McCutchen re-signed with the crew as a free agent in 2023. Once more, he’s not solely accountable for that however it’s clear to see that when McCutchen is sporting black and gold the crew is in a greater spot total.
Drafted in 2005 straight out of Fort Meade Excessive Faculty, McCutchen didn’t instantly change issues in Pittsburgh, however as soon as he arrived it was onerous to recollect what occasions have been like with out him. The thrill surrounding the Pirates was at an all-time excessive. The crew constructed round McCutchen with different gamers like Starling Marte, Gerrit Cole, and Josh Harrison and so they have been lastly aggressive and thrilling.
When the information broke that the Pirates could be signing the veteran outfielder in 2023, it was like historical past repeating itself. The billboards, the press-conference, the jerseys, the complete expertise was like 2012 another time. His first recreation again in PNC Park as a Pirate was like a rock live performance. Even when the performances weren’t fairly the identical, it was value watching each step of the way in which. Now in 2024, by all of the ups and downs that this group has handled, there’s a really actual dialog for bringing McCutchen again for an additional yr, as he has put collectively one other robust marketing campaign.
Undoubtedly the profession of Andrew McCutchen is coming to a detailed, so the dialog of Cooperstown is definitely starting to bubble. Within the case of McCutchen, he’s seen as a fringe Corridor-of-Fame candidate. I don’t assume it’ll be straightforward to persuade the voters, however I do consider that McCutchen is totally a Corridor-of-Fame participant, and doesn’t get sufficient recognition for being top-of-the-line outfielders of his period.
McCutchen’s resume contains 5 All-Star crew picks, four-straight Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove award in 2012, and was the MVP within the Nationwide League in 2013. He has a profession line of .274/.368/.463 with 2,147 hits, 319 homers, and 1,095 RBIs. At his peak, he was arguably the perfect participant within the Nationwide League. From 2010-2015, McCutchen accrued 35.4 bWAR and had a 146 OPS+. His 35.4 bWAR trails solely Joey Votto (35.7) over that span.
McCutchen not too long ago eclipsed 20 homers in a season for the tenth time in his profession, and is one in every of simply 5 energetic gamers to have no less than ten seasons with 20+ house runs. His eight seasons of 20+ house runs with the Pirates is second to solely Willie Stargell. He has additionally tallied 5 seasons with no less than 20 stolen bases, as he was really an all-around offensive risk, displaying the power to hit for contact, hit for energy, get on base, and steal when wanted. Remarkably he’s one in every of simply 12 gamers in MLB historical past with no less than 2000 hits, 1100 runs, 1000 walks, 1000 RBI, 300 homers, 400 doubles, and 200 stolen bases. Seven of these different gamers are in Cooperstown.
Final thing I’ll say concerning the prospects of Cooperstown, is that if the numbers are usually not sufficient for the voters then his character must be. Cooperstown has a “Character Clause”, which is considered when figuring out a participant’s candidacy. Thus far, it has solely been utilized in regards to a participant’s detrimental character qualities i.e Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez for his or her connections to steroids. Not as soon as has the Corridor considered somebody’s optimistic character qualities, but when there have been to be a primary, McCutchen matches that mould.
In 2015 he was awarded the Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award for his dedication to group and understanding the worth of serving to others, was awarded Pittsburgher of the Yr in 2023, and has at all times been a role-model on the sector and off. There have been higher gamers, however there could also be no higher particular person in baseball from this technology, and for some meaning greater than a silly trophy.
Beloved within the metropolis of Pittsburgh, and impactful in any respect his different stops alongside the way in which, Andrew McCutchen has performed out the form of profession that almost all gamers can solely dream of. His charitable acts away from the sport have made him some of the revered males within the sport. If that is the final season we get to take pleasure in him as a participant, then the time is now for the Nationwide media to acknowledge how nice he really is, and the way a lot we’ll miss him when he’s lastly gone.
