Returning from injury, can Andrew McCutchen bring 2023 spark into 2024?
Andrew McCutchen resigns with Pirates
In what was the least surprising news this off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are resigning Andrew McCutchen to another one-year contract after rejoining the team that drafted him.
Originally selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, McCutchen came up in the Pirates’ system, winning the MVP in 2013 before getting traded in 2018.
He returned in 2023 and eventually resigned again with the team this off-season.
Last year - It was initially unclear just what kind of role McCutchen was going to play coming back for the Pirates, and he ended up being the team's primary designated hitter, playing 112 games before an Achilles injury ended his season.
He didn’t entirely turn back to his MVP-caliber self, but McCutchen did post his best wRC+ since the 2019 season while with the Philadelphia Phillies.
He slashed .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He finished one home run shy of 300 home runs and will now look to become the 26th player in major league history to reach that and 200 stolen bases in his career.
What he brings goes beyond the field for someone like McCutchen, who could go down as one of the most popular players in the franchise’s history by the time it is all said and done.
2023 showed he was still more than a capable hitter, posting a 115 wRC+, not too far off his career mark of 126. His chase and walk rates were elite (95th and 99th percentile, respectively), and he still hit the ball hard (44.6% hard-hit rate).
He still hit fastballs exceptionally well, with a slugging percentage of .544 that was backed up by a near identical expected rate of .545, and nearly half of the balls he put in play had an exit velocity of 95 or higher (47.9 HH%).
McCutchen struggled a bit more against breaking and off-speed pitches but hit four of 12 home runs against spin.
You can argue that McCutchen was one of their more consistent hitters throughout the season. McCutchen can offer a definitive answer by having some question marks offense still h.
Where he fits - His two most common spots in the order were either third (319 plate appearances) or leadoff (101). Adding Oneil Cruz into the mix to a top-of-the-order that already featured Cutch, Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, and a resurgent Ke’Bryan Hayes only gets deeper now. They also signed Rowdy Tellez and traded for Edward Olivares as well.
While it would be nice to get some added flexibility, as the days of the traditional DH are mostly gone, the value McCutchen brings, as long as he’s healthy, should outweigh the lack of a position.
In case anybody cares, the Pirates sent Roddery Munoz, who was dfa’d the other day, to Mia for cash. Still need to clear two roster spots.
One of the Top 50 hitters in all of Major League Baseball last year with at least 500 PA. Only once has he posted an expected wOBA below .340 in the 8 seasons since his 2015 peak. Incredible consistency as an above average bat into his mid-30s.
Love this mfr.