Pirates Star Ready To Give Everything in 2025
Time is winding for one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' more influential players in franchise history.
Pirates outfielder turned designated hitter Andrew McCutchen is set to enter his 17th season in the big leagues. Pittsburgh originally drafted McCutchen with the No. 11 pick in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft, to which he's gone on to become a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, an MVP, a Gold Glove award winner and he's won the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
With the 38-year-old DH nearing the end of his career, McCutchen is ready to leave it all out on the field for Pittsburgh as it looks to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
"Heading into my 17th Major League season now, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got no matter what," McCutchen told Lachimia. "I’m going to play every game like it’s my last. That’s the little prayer I say before every game. Winning a championship is still my ultimate goal. That’s what I want more than anything out on that field."
McCutchen spent the first nine years of his MLB career with the Pirates before he was traded to the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2018 season. Along with the Giants, McCutchen also played for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers (2022) before re-signing with Pittsburgh in 2023.
McCutchen's return has been more than just a feel-good story. He was one of the Pirates' more productive hitters in 2024, batting .232/.328/.411 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs.
For his career, McCutchen has hit 319 home runs, driven in 1,095 runs while slashing .273/.367/.462. With the Pirates, the former MVP has batted .284/.375/.475 with 235 home runs and 818 RBIs. Over his 11-year career in Pittsburgh, McCutchen has amassed a 42.7 Wins Above Replacement and ranks among the franchise's all-time great players, as he's top 10 in WAR, games played, at-bats, home runs, RBIs, hits, doubles and total bases.
Part of McCutchen's inclination for his return in 2025 was his feeling that the Pirates aren't far off from being a playoff team, citing how competitive they were against some of the best teams in baseball. If the Pirates can improve on those performances in 2025, McCutchen feels they're capable of winning more and potentially being in the thick of the race to win the National League Central for the first time in franchise history.
Pittsburgh hasn't won a division title since 1992, when it was in the NL East. That Pirates team reached the NLCS but lost to the Atlanta Braves in seven games.
"I think we’re really close," McCutchen said. "The reason I say that is because we’ve played the good teams really well over the past couple of years. We do a really good job against those teams. And when we do that, it lets me know that we’re capable of winning more. We just have to be more consistent."
