Andrew McCutchen’s return to Pittsburgh has to this point been a dream. Whereas the Bucs’ sizzling begin has normalized to a extra modest 26-25 document, it nonetheless represents a transparent step up from the rebuilding and dropping baseball of the earlier seven seasons, and McCutchen has been an enormous a part of that resurgence. Along with his anticipated clubhouse mentorship of the younger Pirates crew, McCutchen can be having a return to kind on the sector, hitting .269/.364/.462 with eight homers by means of his first 184 plate appearances.
After signing a one-year, $5M deal final winter, McCutchen might be a free agent once more this offseason, however he made it clear to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette that he isn’t viewing 2023 as a farewell tour.
“Tom Brady stated he would cease taking part in when he [stunk]. I don’t need to put it in the identical context, however when my physique tells me I’ve had sufficient, then I’ve had sufficient,” stated McCutchen, who turns 37 in October. “My physique remains to be saying, ‘Nah, you’re good. You’re nice.’ ”
Clearly fairly a bit can nonetheless occur with over 4 months remaining within the season, however on the floor, McCutchen’s comeback 12 months doesn’t appear to be a fluke. McCutchen’s BABIP is just .301, his wOBA/xwOBA are nearly an identical and most of his different Statcast numbers are above common, together with a 43.8% hard-hit ball fee that ranks as his highest since 2015. The best-handed hitter can be posting roughly related numbers in opposition to each lefties and righties after a dropoff in opposition to right-handed pitching contributed closely to McCutchen’s borderline common numbers from 2020-22.
After taking part in with the Giants, Yankees, Phillies and Brewers from 2018-22, McCutchen has regained some stability in returning to Pittsburgh, and in consequence he naturally needs to stay with the Pirates sooner or later.
“So long as issues proceed to be the best way that they’re, I’m going to proceed to maintain going,” McCutchen stated. “I need to do it right here. I don’t need to do it wherever else. I don’t need to proceed my profession on one other crew… That ballpark offers me a special enhance or jolt of power that I didn’t actually have. I don’t know if it’s familiarity or the comfortability of being in Pittsburgh as soon as once more. The environment, the vibe once you’re on the sector, I didn’t have that wherever else. It’s good to have the ability to really feel all these issues once more.”
McCutchen and the Pirates have but to debate an extension, although as Mackey notes, a brand new contract “shouldn’t be rather more than a formality” contemplating how brazenly McCutchen needs to remain put. From the Pirates’ viewpoint, it’s straightforward to think about that the Bucs would need to retain a franchise icon who has continued to be such a productive participant.
