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Pirates All 40: Another Year for Andrew McCutchen

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Baseball Now
By Danny Demilio | Last updated Jan 1, 2025 10:57 AM ET

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

The expected finally took place just before Christmas. Andrew McCutchen re-signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for what will be his 12th season in the black and gold.

McCutchen, now 38 years old, is one of the more accomplished players in franchise history. During his time with the Pirates, McCutchen has won an MVP, has been an All-Star five times, has taken home four Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove and was a recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.

The leader in games played for any active major-leaguer, McCutchen has continued to climb Pirates’ lists since initially returning on a one-year contract prior to the 2022 season. McCutchen is fourth in franchise history with 235 home runs, is fifth in both extra-base hits and walks and ranks in the top 10 in games, RBIs, hits and stolen bases.

Though McCutchen is no longer the player he was during his first stint with the Pirates, the team will be counting on him to continue to provide some offense. Though he clearly still is one, McCutchen is more valuable than just being a fan favorite.

Last year, McCutchen served as the primary designated hitter and slashed. 232/.328/.411 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs in 120 games. It was McCutchen’s second 20-plus home runs season since 2018 and the first since slugging 27 homers with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, and his first of the season was the 300th of his career. McCutchen’s 105 wRC+ indicates that despite his age, he’s still a productive player with the bat in his hands.

McCutchen figures once again have a prominent role in the Pirates’ lineup as their designated hitter. More so than that, a largely youthful clubhouse will look to McCutchen as a team leader who provides a steady veteran presence.

McCutchen will look to help guide the Pirates’ to their first postseason since 2015. In fact, the Pirates haven’t reached the playoffs without McCutchen on the team since their heartbreaking loss to the Atlanta Braves in the 1992 NLCS.

Background

McCutchen was drafted by the Pirates with the 11th pick in the 2005 draft out of Fort Meade High School in Florida.
He enters 2025 needing 16 more hits to enter the top 200 on the all-time hits list. Among active players, he ranks in the top five in RBIs (1,095), runs (1,239), walks (1,116), hits (2,152), doubles (429), total bases (3,638) and extra-base hits (798).
McCutchen (235) needs five more home runs to tie Roberto Clemente (240) for third on the Pirates’ all-time list. He needs 35 RBIs to tie Bill Mazeroski (853) for fifth place, 42 more hits to tie Arky Vaughn (1,709) for ninth place and one more run to tie Vaughn (936) for 10th place.
Contract status: McCutchen signed a one-year contract for 2025 worth $5 million.