Pirates excelling with Andrew McCutchen in the lineup

Party like it’s 2013!

If you squint your eyes just right, you’d think you see 2013 Andrew McCutchen in right field. The reality of the situation though, is Cutch is still playing at a very high level despite being in his 17th year of Major League Baseball. The stat sheets don’t tell the whole story obviously, but it is clear that McCutchen affects winning, as the Pirates are 9-7 when he is in the lineup.

When McCutchen originally rejoined Pittsburgh in 2023, there was a narrative out there that he would serve primarily as a locker room mentor and ride out into the sunset with the team that helped make him a legend. However, this year is a clear indicator that that is by no means what is going on in Pittsburgh.

Currently Cutch is hitting .257/.357/.400, which all rank in the top five within the organization, as he has easily been one of the most consistent offensive players on the team. Despite that, the conversation now is should the Pirates make him a more primary figure within the lineup.

He has only started in 15 of 25 games for the Pirates at either DH or right field. When he’s not in the lineup, the team is 1-8 and have a hard time producing any offense. But of course, just because he’s playing like he’s 23-years old doesn’t mean his body will hold up like it used to. Since his return to Pittsburgh, McCutchen has dealt with injuries from time to time, and his age has shown at some point or another in the last couple of years.

So the conversation becomes, should Derek Shelton continue to start McCutchen to keep getting wins while risking his health, or does he keep him as fresh as possible while settling for subpar performances?

There is no easy answer to this equation, as the rest of the team is just not that good. This squad is unfortunately just not built to win. Oneil Cruz is coming into his own slowly but surely, but he’s still leaps and bounds away. Bryan Reynolds historically does not play exceptionally early on in the year, and of course Ke’Bryan Hayes has not yet arrived at the plate.

McCutchen has started every game in the Angels series, with a hit in each game so far as he continues to turn back the clock this season as one of the best on Pittsburgh’s ball club.