Seasons — both as a team and as an individual — can’t be made or broken in 19 games, but Andrew McCutchen is off to a great start.
The Pirates outfielder and designated hitter, to this point, is putting up offensive statistics similar to, and even better than, the numbers he put up during his 2013 season in which he took home the National League’s MVP.
McCutchen has batted .310 this season. His on-base percentage is .417 and his slugging percentage is .586. The 36-year-old’s OPS is 1.003. — the ninth-best mark in baseball.
Of course, McCutchen only has 58 at-bats in 2022, primarily as a designated hitter. His WAR (wins above replacement) in 2013 was a remarkable 7.8 — the second-best mark in baseball. His WAR is just 0.8 this season.
So while his on-the-field impact on wins may not be as strong as it was when he led the Pirates back to the postseason ten years ago, his teammates have noted the impact that he’s made on the team’s 12-7 start.
"He's the driving force of this team,” Pirates catcher Jason Delay said on KDKA Radio’s postgame coverage following the Bucs’ 14-3 win over the Rockies Wednesday. "He's been on winning teams and he knows what that looks like. It's awesome to have him in that dugout."
McCutchen and the Pirates return to action Thursday night at PNC Park when they begin a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. All four games, including pregame and postgame coverage, can be heard on 93.7 The Fan.