Since he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2009, no other Pirates player has worn #22 other than Andrew McCutchen.
Outfielder Xavier Nady was the last #22 before Cutch and he should be the last person (other than McCutchen) to wear the number for the rest of time in a Pirates uniform.
On Sunday, McCutchen reached another milestone with 300 career home runs.
McCutchen now has over 2,050 hits, 1,180 runs, 1,050 RBI, 300 home runs and 200 stolen bases.
Less than 20 people in the history of Major League Baseball have done that.
You can make a Hall of Fame argument for McCutchen to be enshrined in Cooperstown sometime, but what is obvious is that #22 should be retired when Cutch decides to step away from the game.
The last number retired by the Pirates was Paul Waner’s #11 in 2007.
In total nine Pirates’ numbers have been retired, along with Jackie Robinson’s #42 being retired league-side.
Andrew McCutchen should be the next one.
After he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2018, Pirates clubhouse manager Scott “Bones” Bonnett made sure that no one else wore #22, until McCutchen returned in 2023.
For Pirates fans in their 40s and younger, McCutchen represents a return to playoff baseball after 20 years of losing.
An MVP in 2013, McCutchen led the Pirates to relevancy in the MLB again.
The stats are there. The community dedication is there. He and his wife Maria and their four kids are now Pittsburghers. He’s great with young Pirates fans.
No one has done more for the Pirates organization in the past 30 years than Andrew McCutchen.
Retiring #22 and inducting him into the Pirates Hall of Fame are slam dunks for the Pirates organization.
Cooperstown is another story, but that’s for another day.
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