Pittsburgh Pirates Andrew McCutchen Joins Elite Group
Brighter days are on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have a stellar group of pitchers under team control for years to come as the backbone of the team. Hopefully, long-time Pirate Andrew McCutchen will be around for one more positive era.
Andrew McCutchen was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005 out of high school. He was a highly-rated prospect, making his much-anticipated major league debut against the New York Mets on June 4th, 2009.
The rest, as they say, is history. Andrew McCutchen has been one of the most productive players in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ history. His 42.7 WAR with the team is ranked 12th all-time and depending on how long he plays, he could crack the top 10.
He has played 11 out of his 16 major league seasons with the Buccos. A vast majority of that has been spent playing on losing teams. The Pirates have made the postseason only three times during his tenure with the team.
That is something they will be looking to add to this season, as Pittsburgh is right in the middle of the playoff picture in the National League. Andrew McCutchen has been having a solid season atop the lineup for Derek Shelton with a slash line of .242/.339/.402.
While he hasn’t been running much this season, Andrew McCutchen was a perennial 20/20 guy earlier in his career. He has been remarkably consistent at the plate, and in the process, he joined an elite group of players.
As shared by the team’s official account on X, Andrew McCutchen is one of 12 players ever to have 2000+ hits, 400+ doubles, 50+ triples, 300+ home runs and 200+ stolen bases in their career.
There are some big names on that list alongside him. Seven of the 11 are in the Hall of Fame. That number could become eight with Carlos Beltran trending in the right direction in his second year on the ballot.
Andrew McCutchen may not reach the Hall of Fame when his career is over, but his number will certainly be retried by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even if he doesn’t receive a gold plaque in Cooperstown, he will always have the distinction of reaching those career milestones only 11 other players has done.
