Apple TV Misidentifies Pirates' Andrew McCutchen
PITTSBURGH — While Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen is noticeable for any average fan of baseball, it seems that not everyone knows what he looks like.
The Pirates faced the Cincinnati Reds for their series opener at Great American Ballpark on April 11, and Apple TV broadcasted the game for the nation to watch.
Apple TV interviewed Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes during the bottom of the third inning, and they asked him about McCutchen.
"I grew up watching him,” Skenes said. “I remember his MVP year and the playoff years in Pittsburgh and he was at the center of all that. We've had conversations, but really, just being able to see him go about his business, like, I would imagine he's doing it the same way now that he was doing it 15 years ago or whatever when he debuted. It's just so intentful. He works hard and just a really unique and awesome teammate to have to kind of say, 'Hey. Here's the blueprint to playing in this league for as long as you want."
.....did apple tv really think this was Andrew McCutchen? I have no words. pic.twitter.com/0cM3zVXhAo
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 11, 2025
The Apple TV broadcast split the screen during this interview and showed who they thought was McCutchen but in fact was not him at all, resulting in an embarrassing gaffe.
This serves as McCutchen's 12th season with the Pirates. He has played in 10 games so far, hitting .267/.333/.433 for an OPS of .767 with eight hits, one home run, two doubles, eight RBIs and three walks to seven strikeouts.
McCutchen served mostly as a designated hitter last season, playing in 120 games with 104 hits, 18 doubles, 20 home runs and 50 RBIs while slashing .232/.328/.411 at 38-years-old for the Pirates.
The Pirates selected McCutchen with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft out of Fort Meade High School in Fort Meade, Fla. They convinced him to forgo his commitment to Florida, offering him a $1.9 million signing bonus.
McCutchen made his MLB debut in June 2009 and had a great rookie campaign, slashing .286/.365/.471, while adding 124 hits, 26 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 54 walks to 83 strikeouts. He finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
He continued to improve over the coming years, with five consecutive All-Star appearances for the NL from 2011-15, four consecutive Silver Slugger Awards from 2012-15 and a Gold Glove Award in 2012.
McCutchen won the NL MVP in 2013, as he slashed .317/.404/.508 with 185 hits, 38 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, 27 steals and 78 walks to 101 strikeouts. He also helped the Pirates end a streak of 20-consecutive losing seasons and make the playoffs that year for the first time since 1992.
The Pirates traded McCutchen after the 2017 season to the San Francisco Giants, which netted them Bryan Reynolds. He spent part of the 2018 season there before they traded him to the New York Yankees.
He signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that following offseason, keeping him there through the 2021 season. He also played the 2022 campaign for the Milwaukee Brewers.
McCutchen re-signed with the Pirates on a one-year, $5 million contract before the 2023 season. He would do the same prior to the 2024 season and again for this season.
He has played in 1,588 games while recording 1,675 hits, 331 doubles, 236 home runs, 45 triples, 823 RBI, 185 stolen bases and 821 walks. McCutchen has slashed .284/.375/.475 with Pittsburgh.
