Andrew McCutchen

McCutchen, who had committed to the University of Florida, was drafted 11th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2005 MLB draft. He opted to sign with the Pirates, receiving a $1.9 million signing bonus, instead of attending Florida.[6][7] In 2005 he played for the Rookie GCL Pirates and the Class A- Williamsport Crosscutters, and hit a combined .310/.419 (2nd in the Gulf Coast League)/.433 with 2 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 210 at bats, as he was second in the league with 29 walks, tied for second with 36 runs, third with 3 triples, and fifth with 13 stolen bases.[8][9][10]

Before the 2006 season Baseball America named him the #50 prospect in the minor leagues.[8] McCutchen played the majority of the season for the Class A Hickory Crawdads, for whom he started the South Atlantic League's All-Star team in his first full season as a professional player and was a postseason SAL All Star.[11][8][12] He also played for the Class AA Altoona Curve, and batted a combined .294/.359/.450 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 531 at bats.[13] At the end of that year, the Pirates named him the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.[14]

Before the 2007 season Baseball America named McCutchen the #13 prospect in the minor leagues, and Baseball Prospectus named him the #15 prospect.[8] He played again for Altoona, as well as for the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians, and hit a combined 265/.329/.388 with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 513 at bats.[8] In 2007 he also played for the Phoenix Desert Dogs, he was on the Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team and named a Rising Star.[15]

Before the 2008 season Baseball America named him the #14 prospect in the minor leagues, and Baseball Prospectus named him the #24 prospect.[8] In 2008, McCutchen was a mid-season International League All Star, an All-Star Futures Game selection, and the Triple-A All Star Game Top Star.[15][11] He played the entire season with Indianapolis, and batted .283/.372 (10th in the International League)/.398 with 12 home runs, 68 walks (3rd in the league), 34 stolen bases (7th), and 145 hits (9th), in 512 at bats.[8]

Before the 2009 season Baseball America named McCutchen the #33 prospect in the minor leagues, and Baseball Prospectus named him the #25 prospect.[8] He again played for Indianapolis, but played only 49 games for them, as he batted .303/.361/.493 with 4 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 201 at bats.[8]

On June 3, 2009, after the Pittsburgh Pirates traded starting center fielder Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves, McCutchen was called up to the MLB for the first time. He made his MLB debut the next day, playing center field and batting leadoff against the New York Mets. He singled in his first career at bat, off starter Mike Pelfrey. He ended the day with two singles, one RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base in four at bats.[16] He recorded his first career four-hit game five days later, against McLouth and the Braves. Two of his hits were triples, making him the first Pirate with two triples in a game since Tike Redman accomplished the feat in 2003.[17]

On June 17, McCutchen hit his first MLB career home run off of Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins. On June 25, he had his first MLB career walk-off hit, off Cleveland Indians closer Matt Herges. "He's an impressive looking young player. He really is", said Indians manager Eric Wedge.[18]

On August 1, against the Washington Nationals, McCutchen went 4-for-5, with three home runs and six RBIs. He hit a solo home run in the first inning to lead off the game against Nationals starter Craig Stammen, a two-run shot in the fourth inning off reliever Tyler Clippard, and then a three-run homer in the sixth off Logan Kensing. He fell a grand slam short of a (natural) home run cycle. He became the 10th Pirates player ever to hit three home runs in a single game, and the first one to do it during his rookie year.[19] Ten days later against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, he stole a career-high three bases in a game off three different Rockies pitchers.[20] McCutchen hit his first walk-off home run on August 25, off Brad Lidge of the Philadelphia Phillies.

McCutchen finished his rookie season batting .286/.365/.471, with 9 triples (6th in the National League), an 81.48 stolen base percentage (6th), 12 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases in 108 games.[21] On defense, he had 10 assists (3rd among NL center fielders), and a 2.53 range factor/game (4th).[21]

He finished fourth in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, behind Chris Coghlan, J.A. Happ, and Tommy Hanson.[22] He was named the Baseball America Rookie of the Year for 2009.[23]

McCutchen began the 2010 season as the Pirates' every day center fielder. "He's an All-Star. This year, probably", said Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. "Hitting. Running. Defense. Throwing. He's got it all. He catches the ball like Andruw Jones did when he was 19. You can't hit a ball [past him] out there. He's got lightning in that bat too."[24]

McCutchen posted a career day against the Chicago Cubs on May 14, going 5-for-5 with five runs scored in a 10–7 Pirates win. Teammate Garrett Jones also recorded five hits, making McCutchen and Jones the first Pirate duo since Hall of Fame inductee Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson accomplished the feat in 1970. "I guess we were just kind of competing against each other", McCutchen said, laughing. "I don't know. I'd get a hit, he'd get a hit. He'd hit a homer, I'd hit a homer."[25] McCutchen finished the month of May with career-best numbers, hitting .327 with a .901 OPS, which drew comparisons with Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Carl Crawford.[26]

McCutchen was not named to the 2010 National League All Star Team. Pirates pitcher Evan Meek, who was named the Pirates representative, said that McCutchen was "very deserving" and should have gone as well.[27]

After hitting .226 in August, McCutchen batted .326, with 22 runs and 17 RBIs, in September. He also recorded 12 multi-hit games from September 3 – October 3. McCutchen said about the changes from August to September, "Honestly, I don't think I'm doing anything any different right now. You swing, and the ball finds a hole. That's it. That's the game of baseball."[28]

He finished his second major league season hitting .286/.365/.449 while adding 94 runs, 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases (5th in the National League), with a 21.6 power-speed number (9th).[21] On defense, he had 8 assists (3rd of all NL center fielders) and 2 double plays from center field (5th).[21]

McCutchen took the place of the injured Ryan Braun as a member of the National League All Star team at the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Phoenix.[29] On August 30, 2011, McCutchen hit a ninth inning homer against the Houston Astros to become the eighth Pirates player to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in one season. He was the first Pirate to accomplish the feat since Nate McLouth in 2008.[30]

McCutchen finished the season batting .259/.364/.456 with team highs of 23 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 87 runs, and 89 RBIs. He also had a 23.0 power-speed number (4th in the National League) and 89 walks (5th).[21] On defense, he led all NL outfielders in putouts (414), double plays (5), and range factor/game (2.73).[21] He was nominated as the Pirates' representative for the Hank Aaron Award.[31]

McCutchen in 2012

On March 5, 2012, McCutchen signed a six-year, $51.5 million contract extension with the Pirates, with a $14.75 million club option for 2018.[32] He was a 2012 NL All Star.[33] McCutchen was chosen to replace Giancarlo Stanton in the Home Run Derby due to injury.[34] He hit 4 home runs during the first round of the competition, and failed to reach the second round.

McCutchen was named NL Player of the Month for June, his first selection.[35] He won his first NL Player of the Week Award on July 8, and later won it a second consecutive week on July 15, becoming the first Pirate since Jason Bay in 2006 to do so.[35][36] During July he hit .446 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs and was named the NL Player of the Month for a second consecutive month.[21] He became the first Pirate since Bobby Bonilla during the 1988 season to earn the award twice in the same season.[37]

McCutchen finished the season batting .327 (2nd in the NL)/.400 (3rd)/.553 (3rd), led the NL with 194 hits and 269 times on base, scored 107 runs (2nd), had 128 singles (2nd), had a 24.3 power-speed number (4th), drew 13 intentional walks (5th), hit 31 home runs (8th), and drew 70 walks (8th).[38] He stole 20 bases, marking his fourth consecutive season of 20 or more on the season. On defense, he had a .997 fielding percentage (2nd-best among NL outfielders), and a 2.37 range factor/game (4th).[21]

McCutchen finished third in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting, behind San Francisco's Buster Posey and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun. He was voted the Player's Choice National League Outstanding Player. He also won his first Louisville Silver Slugger Award as the top offensive center fielder in baseball, won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and was named a 2012 NL Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in the outfield.[21]

In 2013 McCutchen was the athlete featured on the cover of the baseball video game MLB 13: The Show. He received 108,147 votes in a week of fan voting via Twitter and Facebook, while New York Yankees' pitcher CC Sabathia came in second with 89,054 votes.[39] Though athletes cannot appear twice on the cover, he appeared on the back cover of the 2014 edition of the game.[40]

On April 3, McCutchen stole his 100th career base. On September 3, 2013, facing Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo, he hit his 100th career home run.

McCutchen was named to the 2013 NL All Star Team, becoming an All Star for the third straight year as a reserve.

He finished the 2013 regular season batting .317 (7th in the National League)/.404 (3rd)/.508 (6th), with 185 hits and a 23.6 power-speed number (3rd), 78 walks and 12 intentional walks (4th), 97 runs (6th), 121 singles and 38 doubles (7th), 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases (6th), which marked the fifth straight year he stole 20 or more bases.[41] On defense, he led all NL center fielders with 3 double plays, and was 3rd with 11 assists.[21] His efforts helped lead Pittsburgh to a winning record and the postseason for the first time since Barry Bonds and the 1992 Pirates team. They were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS in game 5.

McCutchen won the National League MVP over St. Louis' Yadier Molina and Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, the first Pirate to win the award since Bonds in 1992. He also won his second Silver Slugger Award, and his second NL Most Outstanding Player Award.

McCutchen batting in 2014 against the St. Louis Cardinals

On June 15, 2014, he won the NL Player of the Week Award, and in June 2014, he won the NL Player of the Month Award.[21] On the 4th of July in 2014, against the in-state rival Philadelphia Phillies, McCutchen came close to hitting for the cycle by hitting 4-for-5 with two RBIs, barely missing a home run in the 8th inning when it hit the right field wall of PNC Park a few feet short of clearing it. On July 13, he again won the NL Player of the Week Award.[21] On September 10, McCutchen hit his first career inside-the-park homer against the Phillies.[42]

McCutchen was elected to the All Star Game for the fourth time. He made his first All Star Game start.[43]

For the 2014 season, McCutchen batted .314 (3rd in the National League)/.410 (leading the league)/.542 (2nd in the league) with a .952 OPS (leading the league).[21] He had 69 extra base hits (leading the league), 297 total bases (2nd), 84 walks (4th), an 85.71 stolen base percentage (5th), a 20.9 power-speed number (6th), 38 doubles (7th), 25 home runs (8th), 89 runs (10th), 8 intentional walks (10th), 18 stolen bases, and 83 RBIs.[21]

He was awarded his third consecutive Silver Slugger for NL outfielders.[44] He came in third in the voting for National League MVP, behind Clayton Kershaw and Giancarlo Stanton.[21]

On April 29, 2015, McCutchen recorded his 1,000th career hit, a single off Chicago Cubs' starter Edwin Jackson.[45] On May 24, he was named NL Player of the Week.[21]

In July, he was selected as an All Star for the fifth consecutive year.[46] During the game, he hit a solo home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer, joining Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Arky Vaughan, and Dave Parker as the sixth Pirate to homer in an All Star Game.[47] On August 9, he was again named NL Player of the Week, and in August he was named NL Player of the Month.[21]

Overall in 2015, McCutchen batted .292/.401 (4th in the National League)/.488 with 23 home runs, 9 sacrifice flies (3rd), 98 walks (4th), 12 intentional walks (5th), tied a career high with 96 RBIs (8th), 12 hit by pitch (9th), 36 doubles (10th), 276 total bases (10th), and 11 stolen bases.[21] On defense, he had 2 double plays (2nd among NL center fielders), 7 outfield assists (3rd), and a .994 fielding percentage (3rd).[21] He helped lead the Pirates to a 98-win season, and their third consecutive Wild Card berth.

After the season, McCutchen won his fourth straight Silver Slugger.[47] He was also named the winner of the 2015 Roberto Clemente Award, becoming the first Pirate to win the honor since Willie Stargell in 1974.[48] He came in 5th in the voting for National League MVP.[21]

McCutchen during spring training 2016

On April 26, 2016, for the second time in his career, McCutchen hit three home runs in a single game against the Colorado Rockies, ending a 3-for-23 slump.[49]

Overall for the year, McCutchen batted .256 (his lowest-ever batting average)/.336/.430, with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs.[21] On defense, he was 3rd in the NL in outfield putouts (317), and 5th in center fielder fielding percentage (.991).[21]

During the 2016 Winter Meetings, Pirates' General Manager Neal Huntington reportedly came close to trading McCutchen to the Washington Nationals.[50] McCutchen said that he dreaded the possibility of leaving Pittsburgh, and admitted to "googling" his own name in anticipation of a trade.[51] He later expressed his desire to remain with the Pirates for his entire career.[52]

In March, McCutchen participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic with the United States national baseball team. In the semi-final game against Team Japan, McCutchen hit a clutch RBI-single in a 2–1 victory for Team USA.[53] On March 22, Team USA defeated Team Puerto Rico 8–0, to win the first World Baseball Classic gold medal for the United States.[54]

In June, after hitting .411 with six home runs and only 12 strikeouts, McCutchen was named National League Player of the Month.[55] On September 26, he hit his first career grand slam.[56] On October 1, he was named NL Player of the Week.[21]

In total with the 2017 Pirates, McCutchen batted .279/.363/.486, with 28 home runs, 11 stolen bases, and 88 RBIs.[21] He batted .336 against left-handers (8th-best in the NL).[10] Defensively, he made 139 appearances in center field and, for the first time in his career, 13 appearances in right field, and his 9 outfield assists were 4th in the National League.[21]

Having spent the majority of his career with the Pirates, McCutchen holds numerous PNC Park records. As of July 2018, he had the most games played (676),[57] plate appearances (2,873),[58] at bats (2,468),[59] hits (751),[60] multi-hit games (208),[61] singles (478),[62] doubles (161),[63] triples (20),[64] home runs (92),[65] walk-off home runs (6),[66] multi-homer games (7),[67] RBI (357),[68] runs scored (415),[69] sacrifice flies (22),[70] walks (345),[71] intentional walks (41),[72] and strikeouts (471).[73] He also shared the park record of eight walk-off hits with Josh Harrison.[74]

As of 2018, McCutchen was 2nd of all Pirates players in career power-speed number (185.6; behind Barry Bonds), 4th in home runs (203; behind Hall of Famers Willie Stargell, Ralph Kiner, and Roberto Clemente), 7th in walks (685), extra base hits (539), and sacrifice flies (47), 9th in doubles (292) and intentional walks (63), and 10th in total bases (2,452) and hit by pitch (61).[75][76]

McCutchen with the Giants in 2018

On January 15, 2018, the Pirates traded McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants, along with cash considerations, in exchange for Kyle Crick, Bryan Reynolds, and $500,000 of international bonus slot money.[77] On April 7, McCutchen had six hits in a game, going six-for-seven with four RBIs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his final hit being a three-run walk-off home run in the 14th inning.[78] Overall with the 2018 Giants, McCutchen appeared in 130 games, batting .255 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. All of his defensive appearances were in right field.

On August 31, 2018, the Giants traded McCutchen to the New York Yankees for infielder Abiatal Avelino and pitcher Juan De Paula.[79] In light of the Yankees personal appearance policy, after asking teammate Neil Walker if his beard was acceptable McCutchen shaved it off.[80] McCutchen also changed his jersey number from 22, which he had worn his entire career, to 26, due to 22 having been assigned to Jacoby Ellsbury.[81]

For the 2018 season, between the two teams McCutchen batted .255/.368/.424 with 20 home runs (his 20 or more home runs for eight straight season was the longest active streak among MLB players), 95 walks (8th in the major leagues), 14 stolen bases, and 65 RBIs.[21][82]

On December 12, 2018, the Philadelphia Phillies signed McCutchen to a three-year contract worth $50 million, with a $15 million club option and a $3 million buyout for 2022.[83] On June 3, 2019, McCutchen suffered a knee injury running the bases against the San Diego Padres. On June 4, an MRI revealed McCutchen had a torn ACL, and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.[84] On June 14, he had surgery to reconstruct the ACL in his left knee and to repair a medial meniscus.[85] At the time of his injury, he was batting .256/.378/.457 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 219 at bats, leading the NL with 43 walks, and ranked 3rd with 4.45 pitches per plate appearance and 5th with 45 runs scored.[86]

Through 2019, he was 7th among active major leaguers in career triples (48), 8th in career power-speed number (207.5), and 10th in career on base percentage (378).[21]