Plenty of players have come and gone in a Pirates uniform, but ‘Cutch has certainly been the best of his generation.
He finally did it. While it took longer than some expected it to, Andrew McCutchen finally hit his 300th home run to help lift the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Phillies in a 9-2 offensive explosion. Jack Suwinski hit a grand slam, and Joey Bart had a solo shot of his own as well, but that all got overshadowed after ‘Cutch finally got that fateful knock.
With that newest milestone that McCutchen has achieved, there are many (especially in Pittsburgh) clamoring for his Cooperstown Candidacy. Certainly, there is no shortage of stats and highlights showcasing the type of player number 22 has been over the course of his now 15-year career. I say that knowing that the Baseball Hall of Fame is very stringent on what qualifies one to be inducted. So does ‘Cutch belong in the Hall of Fame, or is he presidential material for the Hall of Very Good?
Another milestone in the incredible career of Andrew McCutchen. ☠️ pic.twitter.com/5oj333j1lH
— MLB (@MLB) April 14, 2024
At first examine purely stats, there is a lot to be positive about. Connor Williams mentioned it in yesterday’s game recap, but McCutchen is just the 19th player in the history of Major League Baseball to record 2000 hits, 200 stolen bases, and 300 homeruns. Half of those players are in the Hall, with the majority of the rest being omitted because of connections to steroids. The longevity immediately stands out, as well as being able to have a well-rounded offensive game. Though in his late 30s now, McCutchen is still in the top percent of speedy baserunners, and while he is not a huge power threat anymore, he does get on base at an efficient rate.
Additionally, the peak of McCutchen’s career is just as good or better than any of his contemporaries from this era. From 2011-2015 he had a batting average of .302 with an OBP of .396 and a slugging percentage of .509. Also in that span, he was an All-Star every year, won a Gold Glove, four Silver Sluggers, and the NL MVP in 2013 while also finishing top five in MVP voting every year except 2011. Offensively speaking, he has consistently ranked in the top ten across the board for various categories, to include wins above replacement, which he currently ranks 29th all-time amongst center-fielders.
His speed around the bases has always been a huge factor in his game, as he has had five seasons with at least 20 stolen bases. He helped lift team USA to a WBC Gold Medal in 2017, and in his 2018 season with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, he knocked in 20 home runs for the eighth consecutive season, the most in baseball at the time.
Not enough people talk about Andrew McCutchen
• .275/.369/.465 (.834 OPS, 128 OPS+)
• 48.5 WAR, 2013 NL MVP, Gold Glover
• Four consecutive top-5 MVP finishes
• Hit 20+ HR 9x, stole 20+ bases 5x
• 5x ASG, 4x SS, 49th most games in CF
• Fan favorite everywhere he’s played… pic.twitter.com/4MZLQW0o9m— Not Gaetti (@notgaetti) April 15, 2024
Statistically speaking, there may not have been a more dominant stretch for a player in the last 15 years in the National League, with the exception of just Mike Trout in the American League leading all of baseball.
Now of course with every positive there’s a negative. 3,000 hits is generally the magic number for Cooperstown voters when it comes to hitters, but 2,000 is still respectable. Defensively, ‘Cutch was never a liability, but metrics and stats were not always kind to him in that regard. At this point in his career, he’ll likely finish it out as a designated hitter, which some could frown upon, but he wouldn’t be the first player to spend his late 30s like this.
The most glaring discrepancy in McCutchen’s career is probably the lack of championship hardware. Now I’m not saying that a player cannot be inducted to Cooperstown with no rings, it’s happened plenty of times before. However, there was never any doubt about players like Ken Griffey Jr, Ted Williams, or Ty Cobb. McCutchen unfortunately is falling in that fringe area, and a World-Series title or two could certainly get him over that hump. As far as great Pirates are concerned, he is obviously not at the same level as Clemente, Stargell, and Mazeroski for that reason.
I would like to point out that Cooperstown voters are encouraged to consider a player’s character when deciding to put his name on a ballot. This ‘Character Clause’ has only been used for the likes of players in negative connotations. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez for their connections to steroids have been omitted. Carlos Beltran is on the outside looking in because of connections to Houston’s sign stealing controversy.
But this clause has never been enforced to highlight someone’s positive character. In the case of McCutchen, there is maybe no better role-model in professional sports. Long after his first stretch with the Pirates, ‘Cutch and family remained in Pittsburgh doing charity fundraisers for local food banks while also hosting baseball clinics for underprivileged children. His famous dreadlocks that made him an icon were cut in 2015 and donated to charity. This ultimately led to McCutchen being awarded that year’s Roberto Clemente Award, the most prestigious off the field award a player can be given for his contributions to his community.
Nothing more wholesome than Andrew McCutchen meeting the kid who caught his 300th home run ball ❤️
(via @Pirates) pic.twitter.com/oeHu7HGtCV
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 15, 2024
Again, I don’t wanna beat a dead horse, because everyone at Bucs Dugout and in the city of Pittsburgh has some kind of emotional connection to McCutchen. That being said, I think it is understated the kind of impact a player can have on a city, off the field and on, and there has been no better embodiment of that than McCutchen. That’s likely not something the voters will strongly consider, but I do believe one day we will be able to see Andrew McCutchen enshrined in Cooperstown. The game is constantly changing and evolving, and ‘Cutch has certainly been a great ambassador for this generation of Major League Baseball.