Andrew McCutchen Addresses Future with Pirates

McCutchen flew out in the third inning, but did walk in the fifth inning, which turned into a run after catcher Joey Bart hit a three-run home run to make it a 10-0 lead for the Pirates.

He also grounded into a double-play in the sixth inning and then struckout looking on a full count in the bottom of the eighth inning for his final at-bat at PNC Park this season.

“Every at-bat is special to me," McCutchen said. "I try not to put one over the other. I try not to take it for granted, the first at-bat or the last one. They’re all special. Obviously, not the way that I wanted that at-bat to go. From the first pitch, I knew it was going to be a battle. I tried to do my best to have a good at-bat but ended up losing that battle. ABS is coming, so I can’t wait.”

McCutchen is in his third season with the Pirates in his second tenure and 12th overall, after spending his first nine MLB seasons with the team from 2009-17.

He has slashed .281/.372/.468 for an OPS of .840 in 1,781 games with the Pirates. He also has 1,778 hits, 985 runs, 351 doubles, 45 triples, 248 home runs, 874 RBIs, 186 stolen bases and 887 walks, plus 2,962 total bases.

McCutchen ranks amongst the best Pirates hitters of all-time, including third in home runs, fourth in walks, fifth in extra bases hits (644), sixth in RBIs, seventh in both doubles and total bases and ninth in hits.

He also ranks ninth in games played, 10th in WAR (42.9) and sixth in offensive WAR (50.3).

Amongst his accolades include the 2013 National League MVP, five-time All-Star from 2011-15, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner from 2012-15 and the 2012 Gold Glove Award.

The fans showed their appreciation towards McCutchen in that final at-bat, giving him a standing ovation before it and then once he made his way back to the dugout after striking out.

“They’ve been doing it all year," McCutchen said on the fan support. "It wasn’t one time. This isn’t the first time that they did this. They’ve been great all year with every at-bat, from my first at-bat to this one. They’ve been great. They’ve been loud. This one didn’t stand out more than the other ones. They’ve always done it. I appreciate them doing it.”

McCutchen turns 39 years old in October and he has slashed .240/.336/.372 for an OPS of .708 in 131 games, with 111 hits, 22 doubles, 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and 66 walks to 115 strikeouts.

He has signed a one-year, $5 million deal each season since his return ahead of the 2023 campaign. He didn't hint at whether he'd come back to the Pirates next season, but he did say he wants to play baseball again in 2026.

“We’ll see what happens," McCutchen said. "Obviously, a lot of that stuff is out of my control, so I just need to do my part. I do want to continue playing, so wherever that may be. I’m looking forward to seeing where the offseason takes me. We’ll move on from there. I’ve got six games left, so I’ll try to finish the season strong.”

The Pirates themselves have had a poor season, 67-89 overall, 28 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in first place of the National League Central Division, 13 games back of the last NL Wild Card spot and the fourth worst record in baseball.

Pittsburgh also made it seven consecutive losing seasons in 2025 and 10 straight seasons without a postseason appearance, as the fans have suffered through some poor teams in the past decade.

McCutchen, who came back to win in Pittsburgh before his retirement, hasn't had that chance yet, but would love to be a part of a winning team if possible, especially if it's the Pirates.

“That’s the goal," McCutchen said. "I’m not necessarily just here to be here. It would be good to have that opportunity but we’ll pass that bridge when we get there.”